In the beginning, obstetrician Martin Couney was considered a brazen nut job.
He had entered medical practice at the height of the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century, when standard medical practice offered no specialized care for premature babies.
Preemies were then considered ‘weak’ and ‘inferior’ and allowed to die out of concern that their survival would diminish the human gene pool.
But Couney had seen positive outcomes from specialized neonatal care in France, where a group of doctors had adapted poultry farm egg incubators for human use.
Couney brought this idea back to America and set up ‘baby farms,’ staffed by nurses, at public fairgrounds across the country; and he encouraged families to bring their frail preemies in for free care.
For 25 cents, fairground visitors could see the baby farm preemies, and revenue from ticket sales was used to cover operating costs.
[Couney’s baby farm exhibit on Coney Island ran for nearly forty years.]
Detractors lamented the public display of babies next to wild animal exhibits and peep shows, but Couney knew that public fairgrounds were good modes of mass communication.
And his baby farms saved thousands of little tykes.
By the end of Couney’s life in 1950, the medical community had come around to his views and specialized care for preemies had become standard medical practice.
And millions of moms, including me, say ‘thank you.’
****************************
We’ll see you tomorrow.
— Brenda, Doug and Bill
Great article, love to hear such uplifting stories! Sadly, we are still supporting eugenics through the easy, free, publicly sponsored abortion clinics all over this country.