Iran J Pediatr Letter to Editor Mar 2012; Vol 22 (No 1), Pp: 142-143

The First Mythological Description of an Section [4-7]. After his birth, Dionysus was a Incubator prematurely [8] born eight-month infant[9,10], underweight that needed special care and an Gregory Tsoucalas1,2, MD, MSc, PhD (c); incubation. Zeus performed an incision in his Ioannis Tsoucalas3 MD, PhD thigh, living the embryo to be fed by the femoral 1. Athens Anticancer Hospital “The Saint Savvas”, Greece artery (embryo implantation?). The femoral artery 2. History of Medicine Department, University of Athens, cannot properly feed the embryo, as the uterine Greece 3. Private doctor, Chania, Greece one, furthermore the space in the thigh is extremely limited for an embryo to develop. Zeus Received: Jul 15, 2011; Accepted: Nov 19, 2011 performs a second Caesarean incision and calls for Hermes to transfer the newborn in a suitable To the Editor: location [2]. [2,11] Reading through Greek Mythology one can easily Hermes , the first infant courier, carries [3,12] come across a series of references concerning the Dionysus in Nyssa Mountain (the Neonatal [13] transportation of Newly Borns, from their birth Department) and delivers him to the Hyades , [14] place to other, to be “nursed–bred”, where the and the Nymphs, where Ino , the chief nymph, newborn remained until it was fully developed. A places him in a cave-incubator, to a sweet, hot and distinct example is that of Zeus’ transportation [1]. moisture environment. When Rea was going to give birth to Zeus, in order The mythological description of the cave- to save him from Cronus’ infanticide, he carried incubator paradoxically seems to keep its modern him to Mount Dikti where he was taken care by standards. Pines were planted at the entrance of nurse Amalthea, the nymphs Adrastea and Ida and the cave leading to a kind of air filter. A type of Melia nymphs (midwife and nurses). Bearing in double wall, which was developed between the mind some of nowadays basic characteristics of roof and the branches, was that of leafy ivy and a the incubator, such as the existence of an air filter, virgin vineyard, protecting the God from air a double inner wall and finally protection from air currents. That way the maintenance of a sweet, currents, we will come to realize the parallel hot and lightly moist environment was ensured, between the knowledge of the ancient Greeks and thus giving a thermally neutral one. the recent outcomes. With the aim to exhibit the In this incubator with lumens of Panama’s [15] [13] [16] probable existence of the incubator in lullaby and the Hyades , Maenads , the [17] Mythological Times, there has been an indexing of Satyrs and finally the Silenus , the little God the works of ancient authors who had been there stayed until he gained his normal weight and engaged with the theme. grew. What comes in mind is the perinatal history of It is not possible to verify if either all Dionysus. His fertility was not questioned with mythological events were based on practices of Zeus as a father and as a mother, strong breed of the era or existed only in someone’s bold mind. the family of Cadmus, Semeli. The arrogance of the What is more likely to have happened is that mortal woman Semeli to ask Zeus to appear, in all through practices and knowledge of the era, we his grandeur, in thunder and lightning, during her have testimony of the first primitive image and pregnancy brings her death by burning and leaves thus the pioneer incubator, which appeared her with a barely developed infant[2]. After thousands of years before its modern invention. Semelis’ death her unprotected embryo escapes her intestines [3]. Zeus grabs and opens up the Key words: Incubator; Mythology; Newborns; Eight- womb and thus carries out the first Caesarean Month Infants

* Corresponding Author; Address: Kononos St., 62-64 Pagrati, Athens, Postal code 11633, Greece E-mail: [email protected] Iran J Pediatr, Vol 22 (No 1); Mar 2012 143

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