Inspired by Sarah DiGregorio's harrowing experience giving birth to her premature daughter, Early is a compelling and empathetic blend of memoir and rigorous reporting that tells the story of neonatology - and explores the questions raised by premature birth.

Prologue: one birth -- The unexpected: millions of births. What happened? ; Treatments and outcomes ; Viability and the zone of parental discretion -- The body: incubation. The history of incubation: Coney Island, chicken eggs, and changelings ; The modern incubator, or how to build a giraffe ; The incubators of the future: babies in bags -- The breath: treating respiratory distress. Dr. Mildred Stahlman and the miniature iron lung ; Dr. Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos and the rugged machine ; JFK's lost baby and the advent of surfactant -- The Self: protecting the premature brain. The revolutionary practice of listening to preemies ; Follow-up care: preemie development beyond the NICU -- The threshold: end-of-life issues at birth. What should we do for 22-week babies? ; Knowing when to stop ; Choice, decisions, and the messiness of real life -- The crisis: the body under stress. Racism causes preterm birth ; What prematurity means in Mississippi ; Group prenatal care and the power of community -- The invisibles: breaking the silence. The hidden trauma of prematurity ; Grown preemies speak for themselves -- Epilogue.