Before World War II, there was no way to accurately diagnose the condition of a fetus without surgery--a procedure that was extremely risky for both the mother and the unborn child. An alternate method was the use of X-ray radiation. However, a 1958 study showed a much higher rate of leukemia among children exposed to radiation in utero, and that same year, a new science officially began--ultrasonography. Using high-frequency sound waves, physicians could harmlessly observe the condition of an unborn child. By the 1990s ultrasound had become the second most widely used method for diagnostic imaging.

The man most responsible for the development of ultrasound technology was English physician Ian Donald. Donald grew up during the years when British scientists were developing sonar systems in response to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and to protect ships from German U-boats. While Donald was serving in the Royal...