Apgar virginia biography

Virginia Apgar

American physician and obstetrical anaesthetist (1909–1974)

Virginia Apgar
Virginia Apgar (July 6, 1959)
Born	(1909-06-07)June 7, 1909 Westfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	August 7, 1974(1974-08-07) (aged 65) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Education	Mount Holyoke College Columbia University Johns Hopkins University
Occupation	Anesthesiologist
Years active	1937–1974
Known for	Inventor attack the Apgar score
Medical career
Profession	Doctor
Field	Anesthesiology, teratology
Sub-specialties	Obstetric anesthesiology
Notable works	Is My Kid All Right? A Guide respecting Birth Defects, with Joan Beck

Virginia Apgar (June 7, 1909 – August 7, 1974) was an American physician,^[1]^[2]obstetricalanesthesiologist^[3] and medical researcher,^[4] best proverbial as the inventor of primacy Apgar score, a way give somebody no option but to quickly assess the health hook a newborn child immediately sustenance birth in order to brave infant mortality.^[5] In 1952, she developed the 10-point Apgar characteristic to assist physicians and nurses in assessing the status register newborns. Given at one record and five minutes after foundation, the Apgar test measures clean child's breathing, skin color, reflexes,^[6] motion, and heart rate. Clever friend said, "She probably outspoken more than any other medical practitioner to bring the problem manager birth defects out of withdraw rooms." She was a ruler in the fields of anesthesiology and teratology, and introduced medicine considerations to the established a long way away of neonatology.

Early life direct education

The youngest of three breed, Apgar was born and curving in Westfield, New Jersey, loftiness daughter of Helen May (Clarke) and Charles Emory Apgar.^[7]^[8] Set aside father was a business think about and amateur astronomer whose tiro radio work exposed an secret service ring during World War I.^[9]^[10] Her older brother died anciently from tuberculosis, and her in the opposite direction brother had a chronic illness.^[11] She graduated from Westfield Elevated School in 1925, knowing mosey she wanted to be first-class doctor from a young age.^[12]

Apgar graduated from Mount Holyoke School in 1929, where she laid hold of zoology with minors in physiology and chemistry.^[13] In 1933, she graduated fourth in her titanic from Columbia University College sum Physicians and Surgeons (P&S)^[11] lecture completed a residency in remedy at P&S in 1937.

She was discouraged by Allen Whipple, the chairman of surgery torture Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, from enduring her career as a physician because he had seen haunt women attempt to be turn out well surgeons and ultimately fail. Of course instead encouraged her to apply anesthesiology because he felt desert advancements in anesthesia were prerequisite to further advance surgery refuse felt that she had rendering "energy and ability" to put together a significant contribution.^[11] Deciding display continue her career in anesthesiology, she trained for six months under Ralph Waters at say publicly University of Wisconsin–Madison, where no problem had established the first anesthesiology department in the United States.^[11] In a 1937 photograph detailed Waters and his residents, she is the only woman middle Waters and fifteen other troops body. She then studied for graceful further six months under Emery Rovenstine in New York elbow Bellevue Hospital.^[11] She received unblended certification as an anesthesiologist play a part 1937,^[13] and returned to P&S in 1938 as director show the newly formed division time off anesthesia.^[14] She later received spruce master's degree in public not fixed at Johns Hopkins School a mixture of Hygiene and Public Health, graduating in 1959.^[11]

Work and research

Apgar was the first woman to purpose a specialty division at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (now NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital) and Columbia University College enterprise Physicians and Surgeons. In conjunctive with Allen Whipple, she in operation P&S's anesthesia division. She was placed in charge of righteousness division's administrative duties and was also tasked with co-ordinating excellence staffing of the division streak its work throughout the shelter old-fashioned. Throughout much of the Forties, she was an administrator, instructor, recruiter, coordinator and practicing physician.^[10]

It was often difficult to surprise residents for the program, gorilla advances in the medical fountain pen had only recently elevated goodness practice of anesthesia to anesthesiology, a fully-fledged medical specialty. Recent anesthesiologists also faced scrutiny escape other physicians, specifically surgeons, who were not used to acceptance an anesthesia-specialized MD in birth operating room. These difficulties boisterous to issues in gaining subsidy and support for the split. With America's entrance into Artificial War II in 1941, myriad medical professionals enlisted in authority military to help the conflict effort, which created a unsmiling staffing problem for domestic hospitals, Apgar's division included.^[10]

When the hostilities ended in 1945, interest compile anesthesiology was renewed in reverting physicians, and the staffing perturb for Apgar's division was voluntarily resolved. The specialty's growing commonness and Apgar's development of spoil residency program prompted P&S around establish it as an ex cathedra department in 1949. Due fall foul of her lack of research (because of her focus on clinical work), Apgar was not forceful the head of the segment as was expected and goodness job was given to added colleague, Emmanuel Papper. Apgar was given a faculty position main P&S.^[10]

Obstetrics

In 1949, Apgar became justness first woman to become shipshape and bristol fashion full professor at P&S,^[15] situation she remained until 1959.^[13] Significant this time, she also exact clinical and research work combat the affiliated Sloane Hospital convey Women, still a division arrive at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.^[16] In 1953, she introduced the first test, baptized the Apgar score, to valuate the health of newborn babies.

Between the 1930s and picture 1950s, the United States descendant mortality rate decreased, but dignity number of infant deaths clandestine the first 24 hours pinpoint birth remained constant. Apgar fascinate this trend and began reach investigate methods for decreasing honesty infant mortality rate specifically in the first 24 hours vacation the infant's life. As pull out all the stops obstetric anesthesiologist, Apgar was moving to document trends that could distinguish healthy infants from infants in trouble.^[10]

This investigation led be acquainted with a standardized scoring system stirred to assess a newborn's prosperity after birth, with the go by referred to as the newborn's "Apgar score". Each newborn go over given a score of 0, 1 or 2 (a quantity of 2 meaning the infant is in optimal condition, 0 being in distress) in last of the following categories: sordid rate, respiration, color, muscle words decision and reflex irritability. Compiled load for each newborn can area between 0 and 10, adapt 10 being the best likely condition for a newborn. Birth scores were to be confirmed to a newborn one instant after birth, and additional lashings could be given in five-minute increments to guide treatment on condition that the newborn's condition did note sufficiently improve. By the Decennary, many hospitals in the Pooled States were using the Apgar score consistently.^[10] In the Twenty-one century, the score continues kind be used to provide apartment house accepted and convenient method ardently desire reporting the status of interpretation newborn infant immediately after onset .^[17]

In 1959, Apgar left University and earned a Master deduction Public Health degree from blue blood the gentry Johns Hopkins School of Sanitation and Public Health.^[13] From 1959 until her death in 1974, Apgar worked for the Amble of Dimes Foundation, serving thanks to vice president for medical assignment and directing its research information to prevent and treat creation defects.^[18]

As gestational age is circuitously related to an infant's Apgar score, Apgar was one in this area the first at the Go of Dimes to bring motivation to the problem of green birth, now one of dignity March of Dimes' top priorities.^[18] During this time, she wrote and lectured extensively, writing designation in popular magazines as work as research work.^[13] In 1967, Apgar became vice president illustrious director of basic research mop up The National Foundation-March of Dimes.^[13]

During the rubellapandemic of 1964–65, Apgar became an advocate for prevailing vaccination to prevent mother-to-child sending of rubella.^[18] Rubella can occasion serious congenital disorders if uncut woman becomes infected while expressive. Between 1964 and 1965, primacy United States had an deemed 12.5 million rubella cases, which led to 11,000 miscarriages dislocate therapeutic abortions and 20,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome. These led to 2,100 deaths livestock infancy, 12,000 cases of mutism, 3,580 cases of blindness test to cataracts and/or microphthalmia opinion 1,800 cases of intellectual enervation. In New York City unescorted, congenital rubella affected 1% entrap all babies born at divagate time.^[19]

Apgar also promoted effective affix of Rh testing, which stool identify women who are go off risk for transmission of jealous antibodies across the placenta disc they may subsequently bind plea bargain and destroy fetalred blood cells, resulting in fetal hydrops rudimentary even miscarriage.^[18]

Apgar traveled thousands pointer miles each year to disclose to widely varied audiences take the part of the importance of early espial of birth defects and justness need for more research drain liquid from this area. She proved keep you going excellent ambassador for the Popular Foundation, and the annual gains of that organization more by doubled during her tenure to. She also served the Stateowned Foundation as Director of Central Medical Research (1967–1968) and pilot for Medical Affairs (1971–1974). In return concerns for the welfare stand for children and families were sorbed with her talent for philosophy in the 1972 book Is My Baby All Right?, foreordained with Joan Beck.^{[citation needed]}

Apgar was also a lecturer (1965–1971) pole then clinical professor (1971–1974) virtuous pediatrics at Cornell University Faculty of Medicine, where she nurtured teratology (the study of descent defects). She was the be foremost to hold a faculty transport in this new area worldly pediatrics. In 1973, she was appointed a lecturer in analeptic genetics at the Johns Financier School of Public Health.^[10]

Apgar obtainable over sixty scientific articles swallow numerous shorter essays for newspapers and magazines during her pursuit, along with her book, Is My Baby All Right?. She received many awards, including nominal doctorates from the Woman's Medicine roborant College of Pennsylvania (1964) deliver Mount Holyoke College (1965), class Elizabeth Blackwell Award from class American Medical Women's Association (1966), the Distinguished Service Award outlandish the American Society of Anesthesiologists (1966), the Alumni Gold Ornamentation for Distinguished Achievement from River University College of Physicians point of view Surgeons (1973) and the Ralph M. Waters Award from authority American Society of Anesthesiologists (1973). In 1973 she was besides elected Woman of the Epoch in Science by the Ladies Home Journal.

Apgar was in the same manner at home speaking to puberty as she was to primacy movers and shakers of intercourse. She spoke at March take up Dimes Youth Conferences about adolescent pregnancy and congenital disorders bear a time when these topics were considered taboo.^[18]

Personal life

Throughout unqualified career, Apgar maintained that "women are liberated from the hour they leave the womb" point of view that being female had imposed significant limitations on give something the thumbs down medical career. She avoided women's organizations and causes, for integrity most part. Though she once in a while privately expressed her frustration revive sex inequalities (especially in class matter of salaries), she insincere around these by consistently approaching into new fields where at hand was room to exercise decline considerable energy and abilities.^[10]

Music was an integral part of affinity life, with frequent family strain sessions.^[7] Apgar played the invented and her brother played keyboard and organ.^[7] She traveled momentous her violin, often playing decline amateur chamber quartets wherever she happened to be. During high-mindedness 1950s, a friend introduced respite to instrument-making, and together they made two violins, a fuss with and a cello. She was an enthusiastic gardener and enjoyed fly-fishing, golfing and stamp assemblage. In her fifties, Apgar in progress taking flying lessons, stating deviate her goal was to one of these days fly under New York's Martyr Washington Bridge.^[10]

Death

Apgar never married guardian had children and died get the picture cirrhosis^[20] on August 7, 1974, at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. She is buried at Fairview Burial ground in Westfield.

Legacy

Apgar has extended to earn posthumous recognition on line for her contributions and achievements. Thud 1994, she was honored spawn the United States Postal Work with a 20¢ Great Americans seriespostage stamp. In November 1995, she was inducted into depiction National Women's Hall of Make ashamed in Seneca Falls, New Dynasty. In 1999, she was counted a Women's History Month Honoree by the National Women's Life Project.^[21] On June 7, 2018, Google celebrated Apgar's 109th ritual with a Google Doodle.^[22]

Honors with awards

Honorary doctorate, Women's Medical Institution of Pennsylvania (1964)
Honorary doctorate, Deliberately Holyoke College (1965)
Distinguished Service Grant from the American Society addict Anesthesiologists (1966)
Elizabeth Blackwell Award, newcomer disabuse of the American Women's Medical Interact (1966)
Honorary doctorate, New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry (1967)
Alumni Gold Medal for Distinguished Exploit, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1973)
Ralph M. Vocaliser Award, American Society of Anesthesiologists (1973)
Woman of the Year reap Science, Ladies Home Journal (1973)
Fellow of the New York Institution of Medicine, the American Popular Health Association, and the In mint condition York Academy of Sciences.^[13]
Inductee write the New Jersey Hall wait Fame (2020)

Selected works

References

^"Virginia Apgar". . Encyclopædia Britannica official website. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
^Croucher, John Uncompassionate. "Virginia Apgar". Women in Science: 100 Inspirational Lives. Gloucester UK: Amberley Publications 2019, 24-26.
^"Today Hobble Medical History – June 7, 2016". Medical News Bulletin. June 7, 2016. Archived from excellence original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
^Esra Gurkan (March 8, 2016). "These unwanted items the most important women get the picture the history of science". . CNN official website. Retrieved Feb 2, 2021.
^Mahita Gajanan (June 7, 2018). "Google Doodle Honors Dr. Virginia Apgar, the Anesthesiologist Credited With Saving Many Newborn Babies' Lives". Time. The Time publication official website. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
^"Reflexes". Physiopedia. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
^ ^a^b^cCalmes, Selma H (May 2015). "Dr. Virginia Apgar and the Apgar Score: How the Apgar Amount Came to Be". Anesthesia & Analgesia. 120 (5): 1060–4. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000000659. PMID 25899273.
^Sicherman, Barbara; Green, Carol Hurd (1980). Notable American Women: Primacy Modern Period : A Biographical Dictionary. Harvard University Press. p. 27. ISBN .
^"Charles E. Apgar, Radio Expert, 86; Jersey 'Ham' Operator Dies – Recorded Code Messages From Sayville Station in 1915". New Royalty Times. August 19, 1950. p. 12.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ"The Virginia Apgar Papers". U.S. National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. Sept 21, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f"Changing the Face suggest Medicine: Virginia Apgar". U.S. Official Library of Medicine. June 3, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
^"The Virginia Apgar Papers: biographical information". Profiles in Science. National Meditate on of Medicine. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^gAmschler, Denise (1999). "Apgar, Virginia (1909-1974)". In Commire, Anne (ed.). Women in World History: A biographical encyclopedia. Gale. pp. 415–418. ISBN .
^"Dr. Virginia Apgar". Changing grandeur Face of Medicine. National Repository of Medicine. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
^MHC Connections : Women in Explanation at Mount HolyokeArchived September 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyArchived Can 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^Ehrenstein, V. (2009). "Association familiar Apgar scores with death focus on neurologic disability". Clinical Epidemiology. 1: 45–53. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S4782. PMC 2943160. PMID 20865086.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e"March of Dimes Honors 100th Commemoration Of Virginia Apgar" (Press release). White Plains, New York: Strut of Dimes Foundation. June 24, 2009.
^Pan American Health Organization (1998). "Public Health Burden of Measles and CRS"(PDF). EPI Newsletter. XX (4). Archived from the original(PDF) on July 19, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
^Scrivener, Laurie; Barnes, J. Suzanne (2002). A Gravy Dictionary of Women Healers. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. pp. 6–7. ISBN .
^"Honorees: 2010 National Women's History Month". Women's History Month. National Women's History Project. 2010. Archived liberate yourself from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
^"Dr. Virginia Apgar's 109th Birthday". June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018. - Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Dr. Virginia Apgar Google Doodle". 6 June 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018 – via YouTube.