Martin Couney and the history of neonatal incubator care

Martin Couney, a man born in Krotoszyn in 1869, played a pivotal role in the history of neonatal care by popularizing the use of incubators at the turn of the 20th century. During an era when premature birth often resulted in death due to a lack of specialized medical equipment, Couney managed an unusual venture where the public paid to observe infants in glass incubators.

While Couney was not the inventor of the incubator—pioneers such as French obstetrician Stéphane Tarnier and Alexandre Lion preceded him—he was instrumental in scaling the use of these devices to save lives. His work provided a stable, warm environment for infants who were otherwise highly susceptible to infection and temperature loss. Couney, who was born Michael Cohn or Cohen, formally changed his name to Martin Arthur Couney in New York in 1905.