The past 100 years has seen a dramatic transformation in attitudes
about and care for the newly born infant.1 The
sick or small neonate, once the object of pity and benign neglect,
is now the recipient of substantial medical resources and improved
outcomes. In the early 20th century, newborns and their mothers
began to benefit from public health efforts that produced broad
improvements in hygiene, infection control, and nutrition. Responsibility for
newborn care, a traditional province of the midwife or obstetrician,
moved to the scope of the pediatrician, who effectively advocated
for improvements in clinical care.