John William Ballantyne: A pioneer who forged the future of maternal, fetal and child health.

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, childbirth was attended to naturally without the aid of a hospital or a midwife and the responsibility of delivering the child fell to the eldest in the family. Key figures like Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) and John William Ballantyne (1861-1923) in Edinburgh during the first quarter of the 20 th century played crucial roles in advancing maternal and perinatal care. Ballantyne took a particular interest in both the physiology and pathology of pregnancy. His interest extended from prematernity care to beyond intrauterine life to matters related to the newborn and diseases of the child.