Historical Perspectives

Abstract

Twenty vibrant years, starting in 1960, marked the beginning of modern neonatology, and during those years, the participation of women in medical science increased amid a flurry of national and international social and historical events. The availability of grants allowed the exploration of the newborn infant's biology. Young women pediatricians and scientists studied brain development, and newborn intensive care started to proliferate. The virtues of early feeding were recognized. Infections were actively prevented and treated. Assisted ventilation provided life support to infants whose lungs could not remain inflated due to surface tension deficiency. Noninvasive measurement of PaO 2 signaled a kinder approach to oxygenation monitoring and newborn care. Advances were made in the understanding of jaundice and the prevention of kernicterus. Sudden infant death syndrome came under question, leading to studies on the control of respiration. Many of these outstanding women were rewarded, but leadership academic positions frequently remained out of the reach of other deserving women. By the beginning of 1980, the number of women in neonatal-perinatal medicine began to climb exponentially.