Introduction

This month’s Historical Perspective is written by Osmund Reynolds. When I requested a personal reminiscence of how his research and article on detection of brain damage in preterm infants via cranial ultrasonography originated, I asked that he include the setting in which this advance occurred. His entertaining response provides a perspective on the evolution of neonatal care at University College Hospital (UCH), London. This recollection of the introduction of neonatal care at UCH is included in Part 1; part 2 focuses on the more specific introduction of cranial ultrasound imaging.

It should be mentioned that the pace of development of neonatal intensive care in the United Kingdom generally was much slower than in the United States and some other countries. Indeed, in 1980, there were only 12 neonatal consultant posts for the entire UK. It is generally recognized that UCH was one of the leaders in this arena not only for the UK, but also for the world. For a more detailed discussion of the development of intensive care in the UK, the reader is referred to one in a series of “Witness Seminars” developed by the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, for which Professor Reynolds was the major consultant. (1)