Julius Hess (January 26, 1876 – November 2, 1955) was an American physician who is often considered the father of American
neonatology
Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practised in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The ...
. In 1922, he published the first textbook focused on the care of prematurity and birth defects in infants. That same year, Hess and nurse
Evelyn Lundeen created the first premature infant station in the United States, recognizing the importance of nursing care and temperature management in the care of preterm babies. Hess also made early contributions to the transport of such infants to specialty centers.
Biography
Early life
Hess was born on January 26, 1876, in
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi Riv ...
. He graduated from
Northwestern University Medical School
Northwestern or North-western or North western may refer to:
* Northwest, a direction
* Northwestern University, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois
** The Northwestern Wildcats, this school's intercollegiate athletic program
** No ...
, remained in Chicago for an internship, then went to
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
for more training.
[
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Career
Working at Michael Reese Hospital
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1881, Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest ...
, Hess created a form of infant incubator in 1914, then invented an incubator designed for the transport of infants in 1922. By 1934, the Hess incubator was also capable of oxygen administration.
Later life
Hess remained in practice as a physician until his death. He died suddenly while visiting his daughter in Los Angeles on November 2, 1955.
Works
*''Premature and Congenitally Diseased Infants'' (1922)
*''The Premature Infant: Its Medical and Nursing Care'' (1941, with Lundeen)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hess, Julius
1876 births
1955 deaths
American pediatricians
Feinberg School of Medicine alumni