Neonatology Timeline

Figure from “Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth,” World Health Organization, 2012.

The timeline below lists prominent names, accomplishments, and events in the history of newborn medicine. There is no central organizing principle except for some relationship to the care of fetuses and neonates. Occasionally, events are included from mainstream medicine or science if they have a significant impact on the work of caregivers for infants.

Many thanks to Dr. Tonse N. K. Raju, Dr. Jeff Reese, and Drs. Thijs Gras, who reviewed the timeline for accuracy and contributed many valuable additions to the timeline. Contributions by Tomasz Sioda are also appreciated. You may also be interested in the detailed Synchronoptic Timetable published in Obladen’s “Oxford Textbook of the Newborn.”

Note: The dates on the timeline have been gleaned from a variety of sources and are correct to the best of our knowledge, but you should always refer to primary sources for academic purposes. Corrections and suggestions are always welcome. Please send email about this timeline to webmaster@neonatology.net.

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Year	Person	Event
715-673 BC		Oldest reference to Caesarean section (Roman Law of Numa Pompilius)
~500 BC	Hippocratic Corpus	The 8 month's infant, calculation of gestational age, fetal somersault
450 BC		Roman Law of Twelve Tables ordered killing of malformed infants
98-138 AD	Soranus of Ephesus	Greek physician, practiced in Rome, wrote on midwifery and newborn care, influential into the 15th century
500's		Marble cradle for foundlings at Trèves
1200's		Hospital for foundlings, Pope Innocent III (Ospedale di Santo Spirito in Sassia, ruota degli esposti)
1445		Florence foundling hospital (Ospedale degli Innocenti)
1500's		Handbooks for midwives, based on translations of Soranus
1536		Paris Hospice de Enfants-Dieu, for orphans and foundlings)
1538	Henry VIII	Establishment of Bills of Mortality
1544	Thomas Phaire	"The boke of children"
1554	Amatus Lusitanus	First account of wet nurse infected with syphilis by a breast-feeding infant
1564	Cesare Anzanio	First description of ductus venosus and arteriosus
1577	Liceti *	Incubator for his prematurely born son, who survived and became a renowned scientist (Rapallo, Italy)
1640	St. Vincent de Paul and Mme. Legras	Foundling Hospital of Paris opened
1650	Chamberlen	Invention of obstetric forceps, they were kept within the family as a trade secret for 150 years.
1662	John Graunt	Analysis and publication of Bills of Mortality
1670	Louis XIII	Royal edict creates l'Hôpital des Enfants-Trouvés
1672	Isbrand Diemerbroeck	First correct description of placental circulation
1673	Steno (Nils Stensen)	First anatomic description of Tetralogy of Fallot, Denmark
1691	Ruysch	First report of clinical entity now known as Hirschsprung's Disease
1733	Calder	First case report of duodenal atresia
1741	Coram	Opening of the Foundling Hospital, London
1752		Queen Charlotte's Hospital, world's first maternity hospital, founded in London
1753	Roederer	First publication of correct average birthweight and length
1764	Nils Rosen von Rosenstein	Treatise on children's diseases
1769		Opening of the Dispensary for the Infant Poor, London
1770		St. Petersburg Foundling Hospital
1780	Francois Chaussier	First use of oxygen (O2) in newborns
1784	Michael Underwood	"Treatise on the diseases of children"
1785	Jean Baptiste Thimotee Baumes	"Treatise on Neonatal Jaundice" at the University of Paris, won prize, subsequently published (1788) and widely read
1788	Hezekiah Beardsley	First description of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis of infancy
1792	Brand (Leiden)	Caesarian delivery, mother and child survived
1795		Opening of the l'Hospice des Enfants-Trouvés at the Maternité, Paris (later known as l'Hospice des Enfants-Assistés)
1797		First description of Transposition of the Great Vessels
1798	Paul Scheel	Elastic endotracheal tube for neonates (Copenhagen)
1802		Opening of the Hôpital des Enfants-Malades in Paris, first children's hospital
1802	Heberden	Published description of hydrocephalus in infants
1803	Hey	First successful surgical closure of omphalocele
1810		Use of "le Tour d'abandon" (tower of desertion) in France.
1814		Founding of Paris Maternité
1819	Elias v Siebold	Preterm delivery in obstructed pelvis
1819	René TH Laënnec	Introduction of the stethoscope
1821	MJ La Jumeau de Kergaradec	First public demonstration of fetal heart rate auscultation (Paris)
1822	François Baron	Neonatal stethoscope
1834	Blundell	First description of endotracheal intubation for newborn resuscitation
1835	von Rühl	First known use of "warming tub" (Wärmewanne) St Petersburg
1836		Birth registration mandatory in England
1839	Frolich	First description of prune-belly syndrome
1847	Ignaz Semmelweis	Asepsis in the delivery room (Budapest)
1847		First use of ether anesthesia in obstetrics
1847	Jacques Francois Edouard Hervieux	Thesis on neonatal jaundice based on 45 cases including 44 autopsies,described staining of the brain in 31 cases.
1850	Von Ruhl	50 "warming tubs" are installed in the Moscow Foundling Hospital
1851	Marchant	First report of gavage feedings for infants
1852	West	Founding of Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, the first children's hospital in English-speaking countries
1854		Founding of first American children's hospitals: New York Nursing and Child Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
1857	Denucé	First published description of incubator in western literature
1861	Little	Cerebral palsy (CP) described and linked to birth trauma and asphyxia
1870		Beginning of the Infant Welfare Movement
1874 (?)	G. Eustache, C. Hearson & Co.	Hearson's Thermostatic Nurse (automatic temperature regulation)
1875	Johannes Orth	First pathoanatomic description of kernicterus. Mentioned staining of basal ganglia.
1878	Tarnier	Adaptation of poultry incubator to create the Tarnier-Martin Couveuse (incubator)
1879	Credé	AgNO3 for ophthalmia neonatorum
1880	Tarnier	Introduction of "couveuse" (Tarnier-Martin closed incubator, thermisphon) at Paris Maternité
1880	Winckel	Trials of the "permanent water bath" for prematures, Dresden
1882	Biedert	Heat treatment of milk for 2 hrs at 100 degrees C. for artificial feeding
1883	Auvard	Introduction of Tarnier-Auvard single-infant incubator (warm water in stoneware containers), Paris Maternité
1884	Credé	Reports the results of 647 infants treated over 20 years using an incubator similar to that of Denucé
1884	Stephane Tarnier	Gavage feedings
1888	Hirschsprung	First description of pyloric stenosis
1888	Fallot	First description of association of ventribular septal defect, right ventricular infundibular stenosis, aortic valve overriding the right ventricle, and right ventricular hypertrophy (now known as Tetralogy of Fallot, or TOF)
1890	Alexandre Lion	Thermoregulated infant incubator based on an egg incubator, made of wood.
1890	Alexandre Lion	First display to a paying public of.a living premature baby in an infant incubator, Marsille.
1891	Bonnaire	First description in literature of oxygen (O2) for premature or cyanotic infants (used by Tarnier in 1889)
1891	Alexandre Lion	Establishment of the "Infant Incubator Charity" (Oeuvre Maternelle des Couveuses d'Entants) in Nice (later in Paris and other European cities).
1891	E. Bonnaire	First documented use of oxygen for premature or cyanotic infants
1891	Rotch	Rotch portable incubator, Boston
1892	Alexandre Lion	Thermoregulated infant incubator made of metal.
1892	Pierre Budin	Establishment of the "Consultations de Nourrissons"
1893	Rotch	First American incubator with built-in scale, wheels, and fresh-air delivery system
1893	Mme. Henry, Pierre Budin	Found "Pavilion of Weaklings" at the Paris Maternité (first specialized neonatal intensive care unit)
1894	C. W. Townsend	Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn
1894	Alexandre Lion	Alexandre Lion opens his first permanent storefront for Maternité Lion in Nice, France.
1894	Alexandre Lion	Incubator pavilion with living babies during the International Exhibition, Lyon (first incubator pavilion at an international/world exhibition).
1894		First "milk depots"
1895	Alexandre Lion	Incubator pavilion with living babies during the World Exhibition in Amsterdam.
1896	Alexandre Lion	Opening of the Oeuvre Maternelle de Couveuses d'Enfants, Paris
1896	Alexandre Lion	Incubator baby exhibit at the Berliner Gewerbe-Ausstellung. Used Lion incubators manufactured under license by Paul Altmann, Berlin.
1897	Alexandre Lion	Display of an infant incubator during the Tennessee Centential and International Exhibition in Nashville.
1897	Alexandre Lion	Establishment of an Incubator Institute in New York.
1897	L. Emmet Holt	A simplified version of the Rotch incubator is developed. A double-walled wooden box, warm water circulates between the walls.
1897	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at Victorian Era Exhibition at Earl's Court, London
1897	Eisenmenger	Described congenital heart disease association of ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary hypertension, left to right shunt, and overriding aortic valve, this became known as Eisenmenger's Complex
1898	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at Trans-Mississippi Exposition, Omaha, Nebraska
1898	Arthur Schlossman	Dresden hospital for sick infants
1898	L. Emmet Holt	"Diseases of Infancy and childhood"
1898	Joseph B. DeLee	First incubator station in the United States at Chicago Lying-In Hospital, used Lion incubators
1899	Joseph B. DeLee	Chicago Tribune describes the first transport incubator for infants ("hand ambulance") at the Chicago Lying-In Hospital
1899	Ahlfeld	First successful treatment of omphalocele by painting sac with alcohol
1900	Pierre Budin	Publication of "Le Nourrisson" [The Nursling] in France
1900	DeLee	Opening of the incubator station at the Chicago Lying-In Hospital
1900	Alexandre Lion	Incubator baby sideshow at the World Exhibition, Paris
1900	Karl Landsteiner	ABO Blood Groups (Nobel Prize 1930)
1900		Infant mortality rates: Finland 153, France 160, Germany 229, Italy 174, Netherlands 155, Russia 253, Sweden 99, Switzerland 150, UK 141, USA 140
1901	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York
1902	Heidenhain or Aue	First successful repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia
1903-1943	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at Coney Island
1904	Christian Georg Schmorl	Landmark paper based on 280 autopsies of neonates, including 120 with jaundice. Coined the term "kernicterus."
1904	Zahorsky	Incubator baby sideshow at Louisiana Purchase Exposition and World's Fair, St. Louis
1905	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at Lewis and Clark Exhibition, Portland, Oregon
1906		First recording of fetal heart ECG
1906	August Paul von Wassermann	Wasserman Reaction becomes available, used for detection of syphilis in infants and wet nurses
1907	Jacob Bernheim	Infant Hospital Rosenberg (Zurich)
1907	Pierre Budin	Publication of "The Nursling" [Le Nourrisson] in England, translation by Maloney
1908		Term "fetal distress" is introduced
1908	Carrel	First transfusion for hemorrhagic disease of the newborn
1908	Chicago Board of Health	Chicago mandates pasteurization of milk, other cities in the U.S. followed.
1908	Garrod	Description of "inborn errors of metabolism" and their inheritance according to Mendel's Laws
1909	Leo Langstein	Founding of the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Haus, Berlin, center for teaching and research in the prevention of newborn mortality
1911	Julius Hess	Electrically heated, water-jacketed open infant bed
1911		"Baby Tents of Chicago"
1912	Blackfan	Device for collection of blood in newborns
1912	Ramstedt	First successful treatment of pyloric stenosis with pyloromyotomy
1913	Richter	Transthoracic ligation of tracheoesophageal fistula
1914	Julius Hess	Hess introduces his incubator with an electrical heating system
1914	Julius Hess	First unit specifically for premature infants at Sarah Morris Hospital, Chicago
1915	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco
1915		First US birth registry
1915	Helmholtz	Intravenous infusions and blood collection from the longitudinal sinus
1916	Ernst	First successful surgical repair of congenital duodenal atresia
1919	Sidbury	Transfusion through the umbilical vein for hemorrhagic disease of the newborn
1919	Arvo Ylppö	Himself a premature infant at birth, defined preterm as those with a birthweight of less than 2500 grams. "Three treastises on preterm infants."
1919	J. P. Crozier	Published the Disease of Infants and Children which became Griffith and Mitchell's Pediatrics, then Mitchell and Nelson's Pediatrics, then in 1954 became Waldo E. Nelson's Pediatrics.
1920's		Births in hospitals increase from 5% to 60% in large US cities
1921		Oxygen administration became standard for treatment of preterm infants with apnea
1922	Julius Hess and Evelyn C. Lundeen	Premature Infant Station opened at Sarah Morris Hospital, Chicago, first dedicated facility for care of prematures in the US
1922	Julius Hess	Publication of "Premature and Congenitally Diseased Infants," first American textbook on prematurity
1922	Julius Hess	First transport incubator for newborns, can be plugged into the cigarette lighter of a taxicab for power
1925	Alfred Hart	First exchange transfusion for erythroblastosis fetalis (Toronto)
1927	Philip Drinker	Iron Lung (Boston)
1928	Alexander Fleming	Discovery of Penicillin (Nobel Prize 1945)
1929	Kurt v. Neergard	Surface tension of lung alveoli (Basel)
1930	U. S. National Vital Statistics System	Gestational age was included in the U. S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth.
1930		Founding of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
1932	Louis K. Diamond, Kenneth Blackfan, James M. Batty	Hydrops fetalis, icterus gravis, and anemia of the newborn unified as "erythroblastosis fetalis"
1933		Founding of the American Board of Pediatrics for specialty certification
1933	Louis W. Sauer	First use of pertussis vaccine in the United States
1934	Couney	Martin Couney donates ambulance used solely for neonatal transport to the Chicago Department of Health
1934	Julius Hess	First use of "Hess Oxygen Box"
1933-1934		Incubator baby sideshow at Century of Progress International Exhibition, Chicago
1934	Julius Hess	Modified electrically heated incubator for O2 administration
1934		Dionne Quintuplets
1934	Følling	Discovery of phenylketonuria (PKU)
1934		First dedicated transport vehicle for newborns, Chicago
1935		American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) adopts Arvo Yllpö's definition of prematurity as BW < 2500 gm.
1935		Clinical use of sulfa drugs
1936	Maud Abbott	Publication of "Atlas of Congenital Heart Disease"
1936	Henrik Dam, Edward A. Doisy	Discovery of "Koagulations Vitamin" (Vitamin K)
1937	W. W. Waddell	Vitamin K treatment of coagulation abnormalities of the newborn
1938	Charles Chapple	Design of modern infant incubator (prototype of Isolette) in Philadelphia
1938	Andersen	Meconium ileus linked to cystic fibrosis
1938	Gross and Hubbard	Successful ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), Boston
1939	Runge	Clinical description of "dysmaturity" related to placental dysfunction
1939	Philip Levine, Rufus E. Stetson	Described the clinical importance of the Rh blood group system
1939-1940	Couney	Incubator baby sideshow at New York World's Fair
1940	A. Cournand and D. Richard	Cardiac catheterization for diagnosis of congenital heart disease
1941	Karl Landsteiner and Philip Levine	Performed animal studies with antibodies to Rhesus monkey blood and named the Rh blood group
1941	N. McAllisterGregg	Infant cataracts during the rubella epidemic, established linkage between maternal rubella infections and congenital rubella syndrome
1941	Clifford	First clinical recognition of retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) (later renamed Retinopathy of Prematurity, or ROP)
1941	Haight	First successful primary anastomosis of tracheoesophageal fistula
1942	Florey and Chain	First clinical use of Penicillin.
1942	Theodore Terry	First published description of Retrolental Fibroplasia (RLF) in preterm infants
1942	Louis K. Diamond	Link established between Rh isoimmunization and erythroblastosis fetalis
1943	Alfred Blalock & Helen Taussig	First "blue baby" operation for Tetralogy of Fallot (Blalock-Taussig or BT shunt)
1943	Ethel Dunham	"Standards and recommendations for the hospital care of newborn infants," Washington Children's Bureau
1944	Miller and Olney	Angiocardiography for infants with congenital heart disease
1944	Haight & Towsley	Successful repair of esophageal atresia
1944	Heinrich Willi	Description of "malignant enteritis of the first three months of life," now known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
1944	Alfred E. Barclay, Kenneth J. Franklin	Description of the fetal circulation
1945	Craaford and Nylin	Successful surgical repair of Coarctation of the Aorta described
1946	Sir Joseph Barcroft	Publishes "Researches on Pre-Natal Life." The first book on fetal-maternal and neonatal physiology.
1946	Louis K. Diamond	Exchange transfusion via umbilical vein as treatment for erythroblastosis fetalis
1946	Clement A. Smith	Publication of "The Physiology of the Newborn Infant," first American textbook of neonatology
1946	Ehrenpreis	First diagnosis of Hirschsprung's Disease in neonates
1947	Taussig	Publication of "Congenital Malformations of the Heart"
1946		Hill-Burton Act, federal aid for construction of hospital facilities
1946		First randomized controlled trial in humans (efficacy of streptomycin for tuberculosis, England).
1947	Caldeyro-Barcia and H. Alvarez	The first recording of intrauterine pressure in a woman on June 10th, 1947 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
1947		First report of polyethylene catheters used for exchange transfusion through the umbilical vein
1947		Modern Isolette (based on Chapple Incubator) first shown publicly
1948	Hanlon and Blalock	Atrial septectomy for Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) - first palliative operation
1948	World Health Organization	WHO defines prematurity as BW < 2500 gm
1948	Committee on Fetus and Newborn, AAP	First edition of "Standards and Recommendations for Hospital Care of Newborns" published.
1948	Peller	First use of the term "perinatal"
1948	New York Department of Health	Establishment of the New York Premature Infant Transport Service
1949		Use of DES to prevent miscarriage
1949	W. L. Bradford, Elizabeth Day, F. C. Morton	Triple vaccine for Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DPT vaccine)
1949		Birthweight and GA added to Standard Certificate of Live Birth in USA
1949		Cornell offers Institutes on Premature Infant Care for physicians and nurses
1949	Smith	Thirsting and starving of premature infants
1950	World Health Organization	WHO reaffirms prematurity as BW < 2500 gm but adds that GA < 37 weeks can be used if birthweight is unavailable.
1950	Bloxsom	Bloxsom Air Lock ventilator for respiratory support is introduced.
1950	Widdowson	Publishes the landmark paper on the chemical composition of newly born mammals, followed by series of studies on fetal and neonatal metabolism.
1951	Kate Campbell (Melbourne), VIctoria M. Crosse (Birmingham)	Retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) aka ROP is linked to oxygen use
1952	Virginia Apgar	Describes a scoring system for assessment of infants at birth, now known as the Apgar Score.
1952	Schmid & Quaiser	First clear description in the English literature of necrotizing entercolitis (NEC) as distinct clinical entity
1952	Patz	Initial trial, with some procedural defects, that linked excessive O2 to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
1953		The modern vacuum extractor is introduced
1953	James Watson & Francis Crick	Correct double-helical structure of DNA is described in the journal Nature, Novel Prize 1962 (with Maurice Wilkins)
1953	Ian Donald, R. E. Steiner	Description of the natural history of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and correlation with X-rays
1953		Detergent mist (Alevaire) for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1953	Love & Tillery	Sternal traction for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1953	Rickham	First neonatal surgical unit, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool
1953	Emerson	Invention of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV)
1953		Invention of AMBU Bag
1953-1954	Kinsey, Silverman, and others	Controlled trial: excessive O2 leads to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Cooperative trial published by Kinsey in 1955. First randomized controlled trial in newborns.
1954		Dionne quintuplets are a national sensation.
1954	Pick	Clinical linkage between small term infant and placental insufficiency
1954	Clifford	Clinical description of "postmature" infant
1954	Jonas Salk	National randomized trial of inactivated polio vaccine
1954-1956		Increase in kernicterus due to use of prophylactic sulfa drugs
1955	Gleiss	Controlled trial: withholding fluid in immediate postnatal period not beneficial
1955		Controlled trial: detergent mist not beneficial
1956	William Silverman	Controlled trial: sulfa drugs increase risk of kernicterus
1956	John Clements	Surfactant function and action
1956	Dobbs, Cremer, Ward	Serendipitous observation of effect of sunlight on indirect bilirubin level
1956		Controlled trial: Bloxsom air lock is ineffective
1956	Tjio and Albert Levan	First publication of correct number of human chromosomes (46)
1957-1959	Hodgman	Gray-Baby Syndrome due to use of prophylactic chloramphenicol
1957	Albert Sabin	Development of attenuated virus polio vaccine (approved for general use in 1963)
1957		Commercial production of winged "scalp vein" needles for neonates
1957	William A. SIlverman and W. A. Blanc	Maintaining relative humidity at 80-90% for first 5 days improves survival. Further experiments determined that this reduced heat loss for the baby, and maintenance of thermal neutrality improved survival.
1957		Introduction of Thalidomide in Europe
1957-1962		Thalidomide catastrophe, around 10,000 infants born with malformed limbs
1958	William Silverman	Controlled trial: hypothermia leads to decreased survival
1958		Availability of modern intracatheter in several sizes
1958		First air transport of newborn, Denver, Colorado (DC-3)
1958	RIchard J. Cremer	First description of light effect on bilirubin levels, Lancet
1958	Ian Donald	Publishes a paper using "pulsed ultrasound" in 200 patients with "abdominal masses" many of whom had gynecological conditions and some were pregnant. This is considered the birth of B-mode fetal ultrasound testing.
1959	Mary Ellen Avery and Jere Mead	Surfactant deficiency identified as the cause of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1959	Jerome Lejeune	Trisomy 21 identified in Down's Syndrome
1959		Intravenous (IV) fluids for infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1959	Multiple authors	First report of umbilical artery catheterization for blood gas sampling
1959	Usher	Glucose and bicarbonate drip for infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), later known as the Usher Regimen
1960		Rubeola vaccine
1960	Mildred Stahlman et al	NICU care as we know it begins at Vanderbilt with continuous EKG monitoring, mechanical ventilation, umbilical lines, and on-site measurement of blood gases.
1960	Louis Gluck	Takes over an existing premature baby unit to develop a neonatal ICU at Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut. Mechanical ventilation was not used until later.
1960	Alexander Schaffer	First use of terms "neonatologist" and "neonatology" in textbook (Diseases of the Newborn, Saunders, 1960)
1960-1961	Multiple authors	Birth defects linked to Thalidomide
1961	Mildred Stahlman	First successful ventilation of a premature infant with RDS in North America (Reported in the Transactions of the SPR, Annual Meeting, May 8-10, 1962). According to an article by Dr. Stahlman in 1980, there may have been earlier survivors in the UK, Sweden, or South Africa.
1961	World Health Organization	WHO distinguishes low-birth-weight from prematurity
1962	Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos and Paul Swyer	Early successful ventilation of a premature infant with RDS. This has sometimes been referred to as the first success in North America, but it was preceded by Dr. Stahlman in October 1961.
1962	Koop	First neonatal surgical intensive care unit in the USA at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia
1962	Saling	Fetal scalp blood sampling for pH
1962	Weller and Neva; Parkman, Buescher, and Artenstein	Isolation of the Rubella virus
1963		Introduction of Rhogam
1963	Liley	First report of intrauterine fetal transfusion
1963	Robert Guthrie	Newborn screening test for phenylketonuria (PKU)
1963	Widely reported news item	Patrick Bouvier Kennedy dies of respiratory distress syndrome, GA 34 weeks, BW 2100 grams. This led to increased public awareness of prematurity and its consequences, with increased funding for research for pediatric disorders.
1963	Lula O. Lubchenco	Standard tables of weights, lengths, and head circumferences by gestational age based on Denver data. Introduction of concepts of appropriate, large, and small for gestational age, now considered to be fundamental diagnostic and prognostic categories (AGA, LGA and SGA).
1963	William Mustard	Physiologic baffle repair for Transposition of the Great Vessels (Mustard Procedure). Atrial switch using pericardium.
1963	Liley	First published description of intrauterine transfusion of the fetus for hemolytic disease
1963-1964		Rubella epidemic in USA
1963	Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos	Report of successful ventilation of a preterm infant with hyaline membrane disease (Assisted ventilation in terminal hyaline membrane disease. Arch. Dis. Child., 39:481-484, 1964)
1963	Frederic J. Agate and William A. SIlverman	Closed-loop control of body temperature of a small newborn using infrared radiation (foreshadowing of today's radiant warmers with skin probes and servocontrol)
1964	Daily, Meyer (Stanford)	Developed the first infant apnea monitor
1964	Stowe	Epsom salt enemas used as therapy for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1964	Eickhoff	First report of Group B streptococcus in neonatal sepsis
1964	Du and Oliver	First description of use of a radiant warmer in the delivery room
1964		First commercial pediatric ventilator, Bourns LS-104. This was a piston-driven volume ventilator and subsequently replaced by pressure-limited ventilators such as the Baby Bird and the Bourns BP-200.
1965	Silverman	Importance of environmental temperature and thermal neutrality for survival
1965	University of Colorado	First pediatric nurse practioner (PNP) training program.
1966	Osmund Reynolds	Neonatal intensive care unit at University College Hospital, London
1966	Usher et al	Physical characteristics for assessment of gestational age
1966	Rashkind and Miller	Technique of atrial septostomy developed (became rescue therapy for newborns with Transposition of the Great Vessels)
1966	Harry M. Meyer, Paul D. Parkman, Theodore C. Panos	Live attenuated rubella vaccine
1966	Victor Freda	Prevention of maternal Rh sensitization (and erythroblastosis fetalis) by anti-Rh antibody (RhoGam)
1967	Northway, Rosan & Porter	Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BDP) described
1967	AirShields	First commercially available apnea monitor
1967		First helicopter transport of newborn, from Zion, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois (~200 miles)
1967	Guthkelch	Treatment of hydrocephalus with Holter Valve
1967	Hon and Quillen	Description of three types of fetal heart rate decelerations
1967	Kantrowitz	First heart transplant in newborn, Brooklyn, New York
1967 or 1968	Sierracin/Cavitron	Sierracin Infant Cradle Warmer, first commercial of an infant radiant warmer, spinoff of technology used in heated faceplates for pilot pressure suits
1968	Fontan	Fontan procedure for surgical palliation of functional single ventricle
1968	Corometrics Co.	Commercial availability of fetal heart rate monitors
1968	Claudine Amiel-Tison	Neurological assessment of gestational age
1968	Canadian Department of National Health and Welfare	Published guidelines for the transportation of a newborn or mother to tertiary hospitals
1968	Wilmore & Dudtrick	First published report of total intravenous nutrition of newborn (TPN)
1969	Du and Oliver	First description of use of an open radiant warmer for newborns.
1969		Early regionalization, first transport of a pregnant woman in preterm labor from one city to another
1969		Rubella vaccine released (live attenuated virus )
1969	Lucey	Controlled trial: phototherapy treatment of hyperbilirubinemia
1969	Forrest Bird	Baby Bird, first time-cycled pressure-limited ventilator for infants
1970	Stern, Outerbridge, Shepard, and Stahlman	Introduce continuous negative pressure ventilator; several clinical trials were conducted.
1970		Publication of standardized techniques for umbilical artery catheterization
1970	Dubowitz	Gestational age scoring method based on combined physical and neurological characteristics
1970		First report of xenon arc photocoagulation for ROP
1971	George Gregory	Use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1971	Louis Gluck et al	Assessment of "pulmonary maturity" by amniocentesis to measure lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S ratio)
1971	American Medical Association	Policy statement on regionalization of perinatal care, later endorsed by the AAP.
1971		Johns Hopkins - Baby Doe case
1972	Shannon et al	Description of hyperoxia test for cyanotic congenital heart disease
1972	Kirby	Intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) - Baby Bird ventilator
1972	Liggins	Controlled trial: antenatal glucocorticoids for prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1972		Umbilical arterial lines enter routine use
1972 (?)		Bourns BP-200 pressure-limited time-cycled infant ventilator
1973	Jones, Smith, & Ulleland	Clinical description of the fetal alcohol syndrome
1973	Multiple authors	Transcutaneous PO2 monitoring in newborns
1973	Klauss & Fanaroff	Publication of "Care of the High-Risk Neonate," 1st Edition
1974	Sharpe	Published observation that Indomethacin produces intense and persistent contraction of ductus arteriosus in vivo.
1974	American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology	Perinatology subspecialty certification begins (obstetrics)
1975		Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for infants becomes routine
1974	George Gregory et al	Report that intubation and suctioning below the vocal cords of infants stained with meconium reduces symptoms of respiratory failure due to meconium aspiration syndrome.
1975	American Board of Pediatrics	Neonatology subspecialty certification begins (pediatrics), first 355 neonatologists are board-certified.
1975	Olley and Coceani	Prostaglandin E can maintain patency of ductus arteriosus
1975	Bartlett	First use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in infants
1976	Anderson, Nicholson, & Heird	Controlled trial: total parenteral nutrition in prematures
1976	Adib Jatene	First successful arterial switch operation for Transposition of the Great Vessels (TGV)
1978	Papile et al	Reports the origin and evolution of intracranial hemorrhage in 46 consecutively studied infants < 1500 g, and proposes a classification scheme.
1978		Introduction of the Sechrist IV-100B infant ventilator, had a microprocessor to simplify use by eliminating manual calculations and support a digital display
1979	Multiple authors	Transcutaneous PCO2 monitoring in newborns
1979	Multiple authors	Controlled trial: indomethacin treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants
1979	Gerald B. Merenstein, Dennis F. Koziol, et al	Use of radiant warmers does not increase risk of infection
1979	Ballard	Simplified gestational age scoring system (modified Dubowitz)
1979	Pape, Blackwell, Cusick	First report of head US to detect IVH and other intracranial pathology
1979		FDA approval of ritodrine hydrochloride for treatment of premature labor.
1980		Introduction of the Bourns BP-200 infant ventilator
1980		Fetal Doppler studies begin
1980	Tetsuro Fujiwara et al	First report of intratracheal administration of bovine surfactant in 10 preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome that showed dramatic improvement.
1980		Description of high frequency ventilation
1980-85	Multiple authors	Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in NICU graduates due to transfusions
1981-1989	Multiple authors	Randomized clinical trials in infants with respiratory distress syndrome using synthetic and animal-derived surfactant preparations were launched, eventually demonstrating the superiority of the latter.
1981	Greenberg	Endotracheal administration of epinephrine for resuscitation
1981	Harrison, UCSF	Successful fetal surgery for obstructive uropathy. Placement of a fetal urinary catheter (vesicoamniotic shunt) for posterior urethral valves.
1982		"Baby Doe" case, Trisomy 21 with esophageal atresia
1982	Gershanik	Adverse effects of benzyl alcohol
1983		Certification for neonatal nurse practitioners begins
1983	American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology	AAP and ACOG publish "Guidelines in Perinatal Care"
1983	Benirshke, Naeye, Boyer, Gotoff	Protocols for treating Group B sepsis
1983-1984	Multiple Authors	Intravenous vitamin E (E-Ferol) causes ascites, liver and renal failure, thrombocytopenia, and death in low birth weight infants
1983-1985	Multiple authors	Cranial ultrasound of newborn enters routine clinical practice.
1984	International Committee for ROP Classification	Eleven scientists from 23 countries developed a milestone document on the classification of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), simultaneously published around the world in nearly a dozen journals.
1984		Jet ventilators appear
1984	Castaneda and colleagues	Neonatal arterial switch for Transposition of the Great Vessels (TGB)
1984	Edward M. Connor	Maternal-infant transmission of HIV reduced by zidovudine
1984	Bailey	"Baby Fae," first cross-species heart transplant in newborn at Loma Linda University Medical Center
1985		Controlled trial: Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in infants with respiratory failure
1985		Use of prophylactic penicillin reduces mortality of infants with sickle cell anemia, provides rationale for neonatal screening for hemoglobinopathies
1985		Controlled trial: cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)
1985	David Smith and Porter Anderson	Polysaccharide vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB vaccine)
1985		"Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act"
1986	American Academy of Pediatrics	AAP Publishes "Guidelines for Air and Ground Transport of Pediatric Patients"
1987		Pulse oximetry in newborns
1987	American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association	Neonatal resuscitation training program launched by AAP and AHA
1988	Cryotherapy for ROP Cooperative Group and the National Eye Institute	First report of successful treatment of advanced stages of ROP using cryotherapy
1989	Harrison, UCSF	Successful open fetal surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
1990	Thomas Shaffer	First report of partial liquid ventilation in prematures
1990	Harrison, UCSF	Successful fetal resection of congenital cystic adenomatous malformation of the lung (CCAM).
1990	Crowley et al	Metanalysis demonstrated antenatal betamethasone has protective effect against IVH and NEC
1990		High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) appears in commercial products
1990	U. S. Food and Drug Administration	FDA approval of Exosurf (synthetic surfactant) therapy for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1991	U. S. Food and Drug Administration	FDA approval of Survanta (bovine surfactant) therapy for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
1991	Ballard	New Ballard Score (NBS) for gestational age, extended for extremely premature infants <26 weeks gestation
1991	McNamara	Controlled trial: laser vs. cryotherapy for retinopahy of prematurity (ROP)
1992	American Academy of Pediatrics	"Back to Sleep" campaign begins, reduces incidence of SIDS by 2/3rds by 1997.
1992	Harrison, UCSF	Successful open fetal surgery for resection of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT).
1992	American Academy of Pediatrics	AAP guidelines for chemoprophylaxis of Group B Streptococcus
1992	American Academy of Pediatrics	AAP recommends supine sleeping position for infants, followed by 30-40% reduction in incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
1992	John P. Kinsella et al	Inhaled NO for persistent pulmonary hypertension
1993	American Academy of Pediatrics	AAP Publishes "Guidelines for Air and Ground Transport of Neonatal and Pediatric Patients"
1994	National Institutes of Health-Funded Studies	Perinatal AIDS Clincial Trials Group Protocol 076 published, treatment of mothers with zidovudine reduces perinatal transmission of HIV to infants.
1994	Harrison, UCSF	NIH-sponsored clinical trial at UCSF for open repair of fetus with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
1996	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics	Recommendations for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) screening and chemoprophylaxis
1996	Harrison, UCSF	Successful fetoscopic temporary tracheal occlusion for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
1997	Multiple authors	Controlled trial: inhaled nitric oxide for pulmonary hypertension in the newborn
1997	Lo	Free fetal DNA demonstrated in maternal blood, basis for new methods of non-invasive screening for fetal genetic defects
1998	Wiswell	Demonstrated the intubation of meconium stained infants was not beneficial
1999	U. S. Food and Drug Administration	FDA approval of inhaled nitric oxide for term and near-term (>34 weeks gestation) neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension
1999	Harrison, UCSF	Successful fetoscopic laser treatment of a single A-V communication in twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
2000		Infant mortality rates: Finland 3.8, France 4.5, Germany 4.4, Italy 4.5, Netherlands 5.1, Russia 20.5, Sweden 3.4, Switzerland 5.3, UK 5.6, USA 6.9
2000	American Academy of Pediatrics	AAP Statement on Use of Inhaled Nitric Oxide
2000	Francis S. Collins and J. Craig Venter	Initial mapping of human genome complete
2001	Harrison, UCSF	NIH-sponsored clinical trial for temporary tracheal occusion of fetuses with severe left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
2004	AAP	AAP defines levels of neonatal care (I-III), Level IV is recognized by the AAP as IIIC
2006	National Institute of Child Health and Human Development	The phrase "late preterm" enters medical lexicon, replacing the unprecise "near-term."
2009	Multiple authors	Mild therapeutic hypothermia for perinatal asphyxia is recommended as the standard of care
2010	Nelson	Reports fetal exposure to MgSO4 reduces cerebral palsy rates. Later, an NIH-sponsored controlled trial confirms the findings.
2011	National Institutes of Health	An NIH-funded study shows fetal repair of myelo-meningocele defect improves neurologic outcomes.
2011	Sequenom and Illumina companies	Cell-free fetal DNA testing on maternal blood available as an alternative to amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
2011-2017	Multiple authors	Longitudinal cohort studies report adult outcomes of those born preterm.
2017	American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology	Recommends the use of antenatal steroid in women with threatened late preterm birth.
2021	Roberta Pineda, Kati Knudsen, Courtney C. Breault, et al	Census of NICUs in the US: 1,424 NICUs, 35,601 beds (5,592 level II, 20,631 level III, 9,378 level IV).
2021	FDA	Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines approved for adults
2022	FDA	COVID-19 vaccines approved for children 6 mos-5 yrs of age
2023	FDA	FDA approves RSV vaccine for neonates and infants

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Giuseppe Liceti, a surgeon working in Rapallo (near Genoa); his son was born on the 3rd of October 1577 and named ‘Fortunio.’

Last Updated on 11/30/24