ABSTRACT
George Armstrong has been called both the father and the patron saint of paediatrics. Between 1767 and 1783 he pioneered most of the approaches now applied in modern paediatrics and child health. He also founded in London the first children's dispensary in 1769. Yet for 150 years his remarkable achievements were overlooked until rescued from obscurity in 1954 by an Edinburgh born physician, William Maloney.
Subject(s)
Historiography , Pediatrics/history , Child , History, 18th Century , Humans , LondonSubject(s)
Cesarean Section/history , Female , History, 20th Century , Humans , Obstetric Surgical Procedures/history , Pregnancy , ScotlandABSTRACT
Slow but steady progress in the medical care of mothers and their infants during the 16th-19th centuries received a setback early in the 20th century following a shift of focus from the baby towards gynaecological surgery. The development of paediatrics after 1928 and the formation of a national health service in 1948 led to a renewed interest in the fetus and newborn infant. Special care baby units (SBCUs) were created in the 1960s. At this time, too, obstetric technology arrived in the delivery room and domiciliary birth largely gave way to hospital delivery. Neonatal intensive care arrived in the 1970s. However, a severe lack of resources retarded progress. Many medical reports in the 1970s drew attention to the deplorable situation. In 1980 a House of Commons working party called for the establishment of a sound perinatal service. In 1982 the Government recognized all newborn infants as NHS patients from the moment of birth rather than after their registration. That year too the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) acknowledged the need for a subspecialty in maternal and fetal medicine. Meanwhile, a paediatric perinatal pressure group, arising in 1976, became a multidisciplinary association of perinatal medicine in 1981. By 1983 the new discipline of perinatal medicine had become firmly established.
Subject(s)
Perinatology/history , Female , History, 17th Century , History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , United KingdomABSTRACT
Slow but steady progress in the medical care of mothers and their infants during the 16th-19th centuries received a setback early in the 20th century following a shift of focus from the baby towards gynaecological surgery. The development of paediatrics after 1928 and the formation of a national health service in 1948 led to a renewed interest in the fetus and newborn infant. Special care baby units (SBCUs) were created in the 1960s. At this time, too, obstetric technology arrived in the delivery room and domiciliary birth largely gave way to hospital delivery. Neonatal intensive care arrived in the 1970s. However, a severe lack of resources retarded progress. Many medical reports in the 1970s drew attention to the deplorable situation. In 1980 a House of Commons working party called for the establishment of a sound perinatal service. In 1982 the Government recognized all newborn infants as NHS patients from the moment of birth rather than after their registration. That year too the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) acknowledged the need for a subspecialty in maternal and fetal medicine. Meanwhile, a paediatric perinatal pressure group, arising in 1976, became a multidisciplinary association of perinatal medicine in 1981. By 1983 the new discipline of perinatal medicine had become firmly established.
Subject(s)
Perinatology/history , Female , History, 17th Century , History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , United KingdomABSTRACT
Regionalized perinatal care was first advocated in Canada 35 years ago. Its development in the United States of America (from 1971), United Kingdom (from 1972) and Australia (from 1978), has been described. In all instances, the efforts and perseverance of visionary individuals were crucial in introducing the concepts to the medical profession, and in bringing the principles to national consciousness at a governmental level. Official endorsement of regionalized perinatal care by both the national professional bodies and the central and regional governments was necessary. An important milestone along the path of regionalized perinatal care was the establishment of national training programmes, and the recognition of maternal-fetal medicine and neonatal-perinatal medicine as respective subspecialties for obstetricians and paediatricians. The developmental process requires close collaboration among all three groups (individuals, professional bodies and government) to improve both the quality and availability of perinatal services to a geographically defined region.
