(Politicians feared the lack of sufficient soldiers for future wars). In Europe, displays of premature infants in their incubators began appearing in the late nineteenth century at national fairs and exhibitions. Nurses caring for newborns, Philadelphia General Hospital, 1895.French physicians introduced the closed infant incubator in the 1880s in response to governmental mandates to decrease the overall dismal French infant mortality rate. Survival of these tiny infants depended on many factors, chief of which were the degree of prematurity and the infant’s weight at birth. “Preemies” who survived more than a day or two were often labeled “weaklings” or “congenitally debilitated” implying an inherent frailty that did not bode for their future. Except for a few scattered pockets of medical interest, the knowledge, expertise, and technology necessary to help these infants was not available. Late Nineteenth Century: Premature Infants and Incubator ShowsĪt the turn of the twentieth century, a baby born prematurely (before thirty-eight to forty weeks gestation) had dismal prospects for survival. This is, however, a relatively recent development in the care of infants. While debate continues about the limits of viability of prematurely born infants, those born after at least twenty-four weeks of gestation have increasingly optimistic prognoses. There specially trained physicians, nurses, and an army of other health care personnel anticipate and meet their every need. Premature infants are commonly found ensconced within the walls of hospital-based Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU’s) in both large and small hospitals.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |