Incubators

Infants born before their due date often struggle to survive. Enclosed devices called incubators give these babies warmth and protection while they grow.

When the incubator first appeared, many physicians doubted it would work. A few doctors who believed in the idea put it on public view, staging demonstrations in cities across Europe and the United States. These "incubator exhibits" let visitors see how the machines kept fragile newborns alive. The shows drew controversy, but they eventually convinced the public to accept the invention.

This graphic history introduces the doctors who created the incubator and follows its path from a doubted novelty to an accepted medical tool.