The acronym NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
There are more than 1,500 NICUs in the United States, totaling about 20,000 beds.
Image from sciencemuseum.org.uk
NICUs started to appear soon after the death of President
John F. Kennedy's newborn son Patrick, January 20, 1961.
He was born at
thirty-four weeks gestation and died of respiratory distress related to immature lungs.
