Kelly McGlothen-Bell, PhD, RN, IBCLC

Peer-reviewed Articles (*indicates data-based) 

• Lober, A., Eaton, C., Burnett, S., McGlothen-Bell, K. (Accepted, 2026). Respectful Maternity Care: A Capacity Building Multi-Site Quality Improvement Project. Nursing for Women’s Health.
• Hughes, K., Graw, J., Sisk, L., McGlothen-Bell, K. & Gill, S. (Accepted, 2026). Undergraduate nursing students attitude toward clients with perinatal substance use disorder. Journal of Nursing Education.
• Naser, D., McGrath, J. M., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025). Maternal Perceptions of Feeding Behaviors in Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, 25(6), 587–596. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001309
• *Malin, K. J., Vance, A. J., Moser, S. E., Zemlak, J., Edwards, C., White-Traut, R., Koerner, R., McGrath, J., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025). The impact of social determinants of health on infant and maternal health using a reproductive justice lens. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 25(1), 577. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07693-y
• *McGlothen-Bell, K., Spencer, B., Cartagena, D., & Cleveland, L. M. (2025). A qualitative analysis of multilevel barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding for mothers receiving medication for opioid use disorder. Advances in neonatal care, 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001256. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001256
• *Cleveland, L.M., McGlothen-Bell, K., Scott, L., Choi, B.Y., Gelfond, J., Bibriescas, N., McGrath, J.M. (2025). Prenatal opioid exposure and maternal-infant coregulation as indicators of early infant neurodevelopment. Advances in neonatal care, DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001237
• Crawford, A. D., Geramifar, L. L., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Salisbury, E. (2025). A reproductive justice investigation of utilizing digital interventions among underserved populations with criminal legal system supervision: Policy brief. Nursing outlook, 73(2), 102349. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102349
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Cartagena, D., Malin, K. J., Vittner, D., McGrath, J. M., Koerner, R. L., Vance, A. J., & Crawford, A. D. (2024). Reimagining supportive approaches at the intersection of mandatory reporting policies for the mother-infant dyad affected by substance use. Advances in neonatal, 24(5), 424–434. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001188
• Darilek, U., Graw, J., Sisk, L., Crawford, A. D., Lopez, E., Howe, R., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2024). A scoping review of multimodal, dyadic early relational health interventions in NICUs in the United States. Advances in neonatal care, 24(5), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001189
• McGlothen-Bell, K., & McGrath, J. M. (2024). Fragile infant forums for implementation of IFCDC standards: Aiming for zero-separation of parents and infants in the ICU and beyond. Neonatology Today, 19(5).
• *Crawford, A. D., McGlothen-Bell, K., Testa, A., McGrath, J. M., & Cleveland, L. (2024). Exploration of the effects of incarceration on the health of Latina women and their children using the life course theory. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.), 41(2), 264–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13273
• Malin, K. J., Vittner, D., Darilek, U., McGlothen-Bell, K., Crawford, A., Koerner, R., Pados, B. F., Cartagena, D., McGrath, J. M., & Vance, A. J. (2024). Application of the adverse childhood experiences framework to the NICU. Advances in neonatal care, 24(1), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001122
• McGlothen-Bell, K., & Lawrence, C. (2023). Fragile infant forums for implementation of IFCDC standards: Integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into the care of families in the NICU: A call to action. Neonatology today, 18(11).
• *Crawford, A. D., Ricks, T. N., McGlothen-Bell, K., McGrath, J. M., Abbyad, C., Polinard, E., & Cleveland, L. M. (2024). Conditions that influence coping mechanisms in Latina mothers affected by incarceration: A secondary analysis using the vulnerability framework. Research in nursing & health, 47(2), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22335
• Crawford, A. D., Carder, E. C., Lopez, E., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2024). Doula support and pregnancy-related complications and death among childbearing women in the United States: A scoping review. Journal of midwifery & women's health, 69(1), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13543
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Greene, M. Z., Hunt, G., & Crawford, A. D. (2023). Intersectional examination of gender-inclusive care and women's health. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN, 52(6), 442–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2023.08.007
• *Mathias, C. W., Cavazos, D. M., McGlothen-Bell, K., Crawford, A. D., Flowers-Joseph, B., Wang, Z., & Cleveland, L. M. (2023). Opioid overdose prevention education in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harm reduction journal, 20(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-023-00769-y
• Danquah, L. E., Bass, M. B., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2023). Trends in…the importance of amplifying diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic health sciences libraries. Medical reference services quarterly, 42(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2023.2160137
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Groer, M., Brownell, E. A., Gregory, K. E., Crawford, A. D., Francis, J., Lopez, E., & McGrath, J. M. (2023). A scoping review of neonatal opioid withdrawal and the infant gut microbiome: Does human milk optimize infant outcomes?. Advances in neonatal care, 23(3), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001056
• McGlothen-Bell, K., McGrath, J. M., Brownell, E. A., Shlafer, R. J., & Crawford, A. D. (2023). Applying a reproductive justice lens to enhance research engagement among systematically underrepresented childbearing women. Nursing research, 72(2), 132–140. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000639
• *Crawford, A. D., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Cleveland, L. M. (2022). "I did whatever they wanted me to do": A qualitative secondary analysis using reproductive justice to explore sexual violence among justice-involved Latina mothers. BMC public health, 22(1), 1453. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13865-8
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Flowers-Joseph, B., & De La Cruz, P. (2022). Fragile infant forums for implementation of IFCDC standards," The mother-baby relationship: The key cornerstone of the IFCDC standards". Neonatology today, 17(9).
• *McGlothen-Bell, K., Cleveland, L. M., Spencer, B., Crawford, A. D., & Gill, S. L. (2023). Intersectional stigma and infant feeding in childbearing women with opioid use disorder. Stigma and health, 8(3), 315. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000399
• *Crawford, A. D., McGlothen-Bell, K., Recto, P., McGrath, J. M., Scott, L., Brownell, E. A., & Cleveland, L. M. (2022). Stigmatization of pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder. Women's health reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 3(1), 172–179. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2021.0112
• Estrem, H. H., Park, J., Thoyre, S., McComish, C., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2022). Mapping the gaps: A scoping review of research on pediatric feeding disorder. Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 48, 45–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.12.028
• Crawford, A. D., Darilek, U., McGlothen-Bell, K., Gill, S. L., Lopez, E., & Cleveland, L. (2022). Scoping review of microaggression as an experience of racism and perinatal health outcomes. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN, 51(2), 126–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2021.12.007
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Browne, J. V., Jaeger, C. B., & Kenner, C. (2021). Promoting infant mental health in the newborn intensive care unit: Considerations in the time of COVID-19. Advances in neonatal care, 21(3), 169–170. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000883
• *Chu, L., McGrath, J. M., Qiao, J., Brownell, E., Recto, P., Cleveland, L. M., Lopez, E., Gelfond, J., Crawford, A., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2022). A meta-analysis of breastfeeding effects for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Nursing research, 71(1), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000555
• *McGlothen-Bell, K., Recto, P., McGrath, J. M., Brownell, E., & Cleveland, L. M. (2021). Recovering together: Mothers' experiences providing skin-to-skin care for their infants with NAS. Advances in neonatal care, 21(1), 16–22. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000819
• *McGrath, J. M., Bromiker, R., Hanlon, A., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Medoff-Cooper, B. (2021). Correlates and trajectories of preterm infant sucking patterns and sucking organization at term age. Advances in neonatal, 21(2), 152–159. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000810
• *Apanovitch, A. R., McGrath, J. M., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Briere, C. E. (2021). Neonatal intensive care unit admission temperatures of infants 1500 g or more: The cold truth. Advances in neonatal, 21(3), 214–221. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000787
• *Recto, P., McGlothen-Bell, K., McGrath, J., Brownell, E., & Cleveland, L. M. (2020). The role of stigma in the nursing care of families impacted by neonatal abstinence syndrome. Advances in neonatal care, 20(5), 354–363. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000778
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Cleveland, L., Recto, P., Brownell, E., & McGrath, J. (2020). Feeding behaviors in infants with prenatal opioid exposure: An integrative review. Advances in neonatal care, 20(5), 374–383. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000762
• Cleveland, L. M., McGlothen-Bell, K., Scott, L. A., & Recto, P. (2020). A life-course theory exploration of opioid-related maternal mortality in the United States. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 115(11), 2079–2088. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15054
• *Diallo, A. F., McGlothen-Bell, K., Lucas, R., Walsh, S., Allen, C., Henderson, W. A., Cong, X., & McGrath, J. (2020). Feeding modes, duration, and diarrhea in infancy: Continued evidence of the protective effects of breastfeeding. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.), 37(2), 155–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12683
• McGlothen-Bell, K., Cleveland, L., & Pados, B. F. (2019). To consent, or not to consent, that is the question: Ethical issues of informed consent for the use of donor human milk in the NICU setting. Advances in neonatal care, 19(5), 371–375. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000651
• Pados, B. F., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2019). Benefits of infant massage for infants and parents in the NICU. Nursing for women's health, 23(3), 265–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2019.03.004
• McGlothen, K., & Cleveland, L. M. (2018). The right to mother's milk: A call for social justice that encourages breastfeeding for women receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 34(4), 799–803. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334418789401
• *McGlothen, K., Cleveland, L. M., & Gill, S. L. (2018). "I'm doing the best that I can for her": Infant-feeding decisions of mothers receiving medication-assisted treatment for an opioid use disorder. Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 34(3), 535–542. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334417745521
• *Cleveland, L. M., Bonugli, R. J., & McGlothen, K. (2016). The mothering experiences of women with substance use disorders. ANS. Advances in nursing science, 39(2), 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000118

Non-Peer-reviewed Articles (i. e. editorials, news articles, etc.) 

• Simonovich, S. D., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Rossman, B. (2025). Promoting women's mental health across the life course. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN, 54(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2024.12.003
• Cleveland, L. M., & McGlothen-Bell, K. (2024). Drug testing of pregnant patients. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN, 53(2), 93–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2024.01.007
• McGlothen-Bell, K. (2024). Reckoning with the History of Nursing to Improve Maternal-Infant Health Outcomes. AARP Campaign for Action Blog. https://campaignforaction.org/improve-maternal-infant-health-outcomes/
• McGlothen-Bell, K. (2019). Together: Changing Your Community and the World...ILCA Annual Conference 18-21, July 2018, Portland, Oregon, United States. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(1), NP1-NP15. https://doi-.libproxy.uthscsa.edu/10.1177/0890334418810362.

Published Abstracts 

1. McGlothen, K., & Gill, S. (2017). Increasing racial equity/ breastfeeding beliefs and attitudes among Black Americans. In P. Hall Smith, M. Labbok, & B. D. Chambers (Eds.), Breastfeeding, Social Justice, and Equity (pp. 79-86). Amarillo, TX: Praeclarus Press.

Practice Briefs and Clinical Resource Development 

1. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2026). Washington State Substance Use Disorder Training, Online Training Module, Family to Family Support.
2. March of Dimes, Coulter, C., McGlothen-Bell, K. (2024). Neonatal abstinence syndrome: Addressing models of care which support the baby and family, Online Module, https://modprofessionaled.learnuponus.com.
3. Cleveland, L.M. Paradise, K. (2021) (Updated by McGlothen-Bell, K., 2025). UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas Department of State Health & Human Services (HHS) Renewal 2017-2025, 050043-001, Mommies Toolkit, https://wp.uthscsa.edu/nas-symposium/wp-content/uploads/sites/117/2022/01/Mommies-Toolkit_Revised-Final.pdf.
4. McGlothen-Bell, K. and McGrath, J.M., National Association of Neonatal Nurses. (2023). RNC Review Course Development, Module 15: Discharge Management, Family Centered Care, Grieving, Palliative Care, Mental Health. https://nann.org/216-rnc-certification-review-course-now-available.
5. Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. (2023). Breastfeeding Recommendations for People Who Use Substances: AWHONN Practice Brief Number 16. McGlothen-Bell, K., Cleveland, L.M., Crawford, A.D. (contributors), Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN, 52(1), e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2022.08.003
6. An official practice brief from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. (2023). Management of Newborns with In Utero Substance Exposure: AWHONN Practice Brief Number 18. McGlothen-Bell, K., Cleveland, L.M., Flowers-Joseph, B. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing: JOGNN, S0884-2175(22)00389-6. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2022.12.005
7. Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (2022). Respectful Maternity Care Framework and Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. McGlothen-Bell, K., Burnett, S., Davis, N. (contributors). Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing: JOGNN, 51(2), e3–e54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2022.01.001

Book Chapter

1. McGrath, J., Medoff-Cooper, B., Darcy A.M., McGlothen-Bell, K. (2021). Oral Feeding and the High-Risk Infant. In Kenner, C., & McGrath, J. M. (Eds.). (2021). Developmental care of newborns & infants. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Media Engagements & Public Scholarship

1. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2026) When Healthcare Becomes Surveillance: Hospitals, Reporting Practices, and the Future of Maternal Health Equity, Torn Apart Podcast.
2. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025). Navigating Infertility and Pregnancy Loss, Sisters in Loss Podcast.
3. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025). Culturally connected care: How doulas can improve maternal mental health. Texas Public Radio. https://www.tpr.org/podcast/petrie-dish/2025-11-25/culturally-connected-care-how-doulas-can-improve-maternal-mental-health
4. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025). Mandatory Reporting in the NICU: Supporting Families with Substance Abuse, NANNCast, National Association of Neonatal Nursing (NANN).
5. Simonovich, S., McGlothen-Bell, K., Skrine Jeffers, K., (2025). A Conversation about Women’s Mental Health Across the Life Course, AWHONN Podcast, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) https://youtu.be/bTuCbFCXITo?si=NY7T0Jgzh38ByI1a

Presentations

1. McGlothen-Bell, K. (2025).  Navigating Tangential Systems for Families Affected by Substance Use: How to Collaborate with Child Welfare and Criminal Justice, PeriGen Maternal Health ECHO Series, Virtual, Invited Speaker.