Early

A journalist uses her own dramatic experience giving birth to explore the history of neonatology and the questions raised by premature birth.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a place made of stories—where humanity, ethics, and science collide in dramatic and deeply personal ways, as parents, physicians, and nurses grapple with sometimes unanswerable questions raised by premature birth. When does life begin? When and how should life end? And what does it mean to be human? For the first time, journalist Sarah DiGregorio explores the fascinating evolution of neonatology and its significant breakthroughs—modern medicine can now save infants at five and a half months gestation who weigh less than a pound, when only fifty years ago there were few effective treatments for premature babies. 

Weaving her own story and those of other parents and NICU clinicians with in-depth reporting, DiGregorio examines the history and future of one of the most boundary-pushing medical disciplines: how the first American NICU was set up as a sideshow on the Coney Island boardwalk; how modern advancements have allowed viability to be pushed to a mere twenty-two weeks; the political, cultural, and ethical issues that continue to arise in the face of dramatic scientific developments; and the clinicians at the front lines who are moving to new frontiers. Eye-opening and vital, Early uses premature birth as a window into our own humanity.

Praise for Early

“This book opens our minds and hearts to a world that is rarely seen with such clarity.” —Jerome Groopman, MD, Recanati Professor at Harvard Medical School and author of The Anatomy of Hope

“The heart of DiGregorio’s illuminating book isn’t just about her family’s journey; it’s an expansive examination of the history and ethics of neonatology.” —New York Times Book Review

“A riveting history . . . shocking, heartbreaking, and inspiring.” —Jennifer Block, author of Everything Below the Waist

“Every health professional who cares for babies should read this book.” —John D. Lantos, MD, pediatric bioethicist and author of Neonatal Bioethics