Neonatal–perinatal medicine emerged as a subspecialty in the
1960s, and the first certification examination by the American
Board of Pediatrics took place in 1975. Prior to the application
of intensive care, neonatal–perinatal medicine could be characterized
as being anecdotally based, with benign neglect and
a series of disastrous interventions. Great progress has been
made, and evidence-based medicine is now the order of the
day. The data base has expanded exponentially and we stand
on the threshold of seminal therapeutic breakthroughs. The
impossible is being made possible, and we anticipate that
the ability to repair organs such as the brain and spinal cord
will soon be part of our armamentarium.