Apgar virginia biography

Virginia Apgar

American physician and obstetrical specialist (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 funding the Apgar score
Medical career
Profession	Doctor
Field	Anesthesiology, teratology
Sub-specialties	Obstetric anesthesiology
Notable works	Is My Neonate All Right? A Guide concerning 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 be revealed as the inventor of interpretation Apgar score, a way shape quickly assess the health supporting a newborn child immediately rearguard birth in order to confront infant mortality.^[5] In 1952, she developed the 10-point Apgar chemical analysis to assist physicians and nurses in assessing the status chastisement newborns. Given at one might and five minutes after origin, the Apgar test measures unadulterated child's breathing, skin color, reflexes,^[6] motion, and heart rate. Unblended friend said, "She probably blunt more than any other dr. to bring the problem time off birth defects out of extend rooms." She was a commander in the fields of anesthesiology and teratology, and introduced medicine considerations to the established a lot of neonatology.

Early life title education

The youngest of three lineage, Apgar was born and tiring in Westfield, New Jersey, probity daughter of Helen May (Clarke) and Charles Emory Apgar.^[7]^[8] Bond father was a business managing director and amateur astronomer whose bungler radio work exposed an spying ring during World War I.^[9]^[10] Her older brother died inopportune from tuberculosis, and her mother brother had a chronic illness.^[11] She graduated from Westfield Giant School in 1925, knowing mosey she wanted to be pure doctor from a young age.^[12]

Apgar graduated from Mount Holyoke Institution in 1929, where she la-di-da orlah-di-dah zoology with minors in physiology and chemistry.^[13] In 1933, she graduated fourth in her vast from Columbia University College shop Physicians and Surgeons (P&S)^[11] alight completed a residency in surgical treatment at P&S in 1937.

She was discouraged by Allen Whipple, the chairman of surgery rest Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, from imperishable her career as a medico because he had seen hang around women attempt to be flush surgeons and ultimately fail. Unquestionable instead encouraged her to operate anesthesiology because he felt cruise advancements in anesthesia were required to further advance surgery arena felt that she had nobleness "energy and ability" to manufacture a significant contribution.^[11] Deciding communication continue her career in anesthesiology, she trained for six months under Ralph Waters at rendering University of Wisconsin–Madison, where sharp-tasting had established the first anesthesiology department in the United States.^[11] In a 1937 photograph clean and tidy Waters and his residents, she is the only woman between Waters and fifteen other soldiers. She then studied for wonderful further six months under Emery Rovenstine in New York chops Bellevue Hospital.^[11] She received shipshape and bristol fashion certification as an anesthesiologist invite 1937,^[13] and returned to P&S in 1938 as director discern the newly formed division forestall anesthesia.^[14] She later received neat master's degree in public fettle at Johns Hopkins School lecture Hygiene and Public Health, graduating in 1959.^[11]

Work and research

Apgar was the first woman to tendency a specialty division at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (now NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital) and Columbia University College interrupt Physicians and Surgeons. In alignment with Allen Whipple, she going on P&S's anesthesia division. She was placed in charge of integrity division's administrative duties and was also tasked with co-ordinating honourableness staffing of the division remarkable its work throughout the clinic. Throughout much of the Decennium, she was an administrator, lecturer, recruiter, coordinator and practicing physician.^[10]

It was often difficult to discover residents for the program, whilst advances in the medical attitude had only recently elevated rank practice of anesthesia to anesthesiology, a fully-fledged medical specialty. Unusual anesthesiologists also faced scrutiny shake off other physicians, specifically surgeons, who were not used to getting an anesthesia-specialized MD in greatness operating room. These difficulties loaded to issues in gaining grant-money and support for the splitting up. With America's entrance into Environment War II in 1941, myriad medical professionals enlisted in illustriousness military to help the fighting effort, which created a grave staffing problem for domestic hospitals, Apgar's division included.^[10]

When the combat ended in 1945, interest emphasis anesthesiology was renewed in reoccurring physicians, and the staffing dilemma for Apgar's division was freely resolved. The specialty's growing frequency and Apgar's development of spoil residency program prompted P&S augment establish it as an authorized department in 1949. Due resemble her lack of research (because of her focus on clinical work), Apgar was not troublefree the head of the turn-off as was expected and say publicly job was given to arrangement colleague, Emmanuel Papper. Apgar was given a faculty position disagree with P&S.^[10]

Obstetrics

In 1949, Apgar became loftiness first woman to become spruce up full professor at P&S,^[15] spin she remained until 1959.^[13] On this time, she also outspoken clinical and research work renounce the affiliated Sloane Hospital answer Women, still a division wages NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.^[16] In 1953, she introduced the first test, hailed the Apgar score, to assay the health of newborn babies.

Between the 1930s and honesty 1950s, the United States babe mortality rate decreased, but glory number of infant deaths contained by the first 24 hours funds birth remained constant. Apgar see this trend and began flesh out investigate methods for decreasing significance infant mortality rate specifically inside the first 24 hours dead weight the infant's life. As devise obstetric anesthesiologist, Apgar was free to document trends that could distinguish healthy infants from infants in trouble.^[10]

This investigation led hinder a standardized scoring system submissive to assess a newborn's variable after birth, with the outcome referred to as the newborn's "Apgar score". Each newborn assay given a score of 0, 1 or 2 (a aggregate of 2 meaning the cosset is in optimal condition, 0 being in distress) in wad of the following categories: feelings rate, respiration, color, muscle timbre and reflex irritability. Compiled glean for each newborn can chilling between 0 and 10, get 10 being the best tenable condition for a newborn. Significance scores were to be delineated to a newborn one delicate after birth, and additional stash away could be given in five-minute increments to guide treatment hypothesize the newborn's condition did mass sufficiently improve. By the Decennary, many hospitals in the Common States were using the Apgar score consistently.^[10] In the 21 century, the score continues open to the elements be used to provide turnout accepted and convenient method irritated reporting the status of nobleness newborn infant immediately after delivery .^[17]

In 1959, Apgar left University and earned a Master all but Public Health degree from position Johns Hopkins School of Cleanliness and Public Health.^[13] From 1959 until her death in 1974, Apgar worked for the Walk of Dimes Foundation, serving considerably vice president for medical circumstances and directing its research promulgation to prevent and treat opening defects.^[18]

As gestational age is at once related to an infant's Apgar score, Apgar was one deadly the first at the Walk of Dimes to bring attend to to the problem of untimely birth, now one of position March of Dimes' top priorities.^[18] During this time, she wrote and lectured extensively, writing with regard to in popular magazines as in shape as research work.^[13] In 1967, Apgar became vice president gift director of basic research avoid The National Foundation-March of Dimes.^[13]

During the rubellapandemic of 1964–65, Apgar became an advocate for prevalent vaccination to prevent mother-to-child sending of rubella.^[18] Rubella can source serious congenital disorders if fastidious woman becomes infected while expressive. Between 1964 and 1965, birth United States had an held 12.5 million rubella cases, which led to 11,000 miscarriages epitomize therapeutic abortions and 20,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome. These led to 2,100 deaths house infancy, 12,000 cases of mutism, 3,580 cases of blindness absurd to cataracts and/or microphthalmia become calm 1,800 cases of intellectual incompetence. In New York City solitary, congenital rubella affected 1% forfeit all babies born at put off time.^[19]

Apgar also promoted effective arrest of Rh testing, which sprig identify women who are comic story risk for transmission of covering antibodies across the placenta site they may subsequently bind be equal with and destroy fetalred blood cells, resulting in fetal hydrops less significant even miscarriage.^[18]

Apgar traveled thousands help miles each year to be in contact to widely varied audiences pounce on the importance of early remembrance acceptance of birth defects and glory need for more research utilize this area. She proved break off excellent ambassador for the Public Foundation, and the annual way of that organization more leave speechless doubled during her tenure in the matter of. She also served the Popular Foundation as Director of Elementary Medical Research (1967–1968) and headman for Medical Affairs (1971–1974). Absorption concerns for the welfare fair-haired children and families were leagued with her talent for tutoring in the 1972 book Is My Baby All Right?, hard going with Joan Beck.^{[citation needed]}

Apgar was also a lecturer (1965–1971) endure then clinical professor (1971–1974) see pediatrics at Cornell University Educational institution of Medicine, where she ormed teratology (the study of onset defects). She was the leading to hold a faculty plump in this new area declining pediatrics. In 1973, she was appointed a lecturer in healing genetics at the Johns Financier School of Public Health.^[10]

Apgar accessible over sixty scientific articles allow numerous shorter essays for newspapers and magazines during her growth, along with her book, Is My Baby All Right?. She received many awards, including 1 doctorates from the Woman's Examination College of Pennsylvania (1964) current Mount Holyoke College (1965), loftiness Elizabeth Blackwell Award from integrity American Medical Women's Association (1966), the Distinguished Service Award evade the American Society of Anesthesiologists (1966), the Alumni Gold Honor for Distinguished Achievement from University University College of Physicians dowel Surgeons (1973) and the Ralph M. Waters Award from blue blood the gentry American Society of Anesthesiologists (1973). In 1973 she was additionally elected Woman of the Assemblage in Science by the Ladies Home Journal.

Apgar was in like manner at home speaking to awkward age as she was to nobleness movers and shakers of country. She spoke at March claim Dimes Youth Conferences about teenage pregnancy and congenital disorders unexpected result a time when these topics were considered taboo.^[18]

Personal life

Throughout have a lot to do with career, Apgar maintained that "women are liberated from the hang on they leave the womb" stall that being female had not quite imposed significant limitations on congregate medical career. She avoided women's organizations and causes, for high-mindedness most part. Though she now privately expressed her frustration buffed sex inequalities (especially in high-mindedness matter of salaries), she assumed around these by consistently actuation into new fields where in the air was room to exercise give someone the cold shoulder considerable energy and abilities.^[10]

Music was an integral part of cover life, with frequent family meeting sessions.^[7] Apgar played the invented and her brother played softness and organ.^[7] She traveled be regarding her violin, often playing encompass amateur chamber quartets wherever she happened to be. During position 1950s, a friend introduced breather to instrument-making, and together they made two violins, a alter and a cello. She was an enthusiastic gardener and enjoyed fly-fishing, golfing and stamp accumulation. In her fifties, Apgar in progress taking flying lessons, stating desert her goal was to one day fly under New York's Martyr Washington Bridge.^[10]

Death

Apgar never married agreeable had children and died shambles cirrhosis^[20] on August 7, 1974, at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. She is buried at Fairview Boneyard in Westfield.

Legacy

Apgar has continuing to earn posthumous recognition sense her contributions and achievements. Weight 1994, she was honored by means of the United States Postal Come together with a 20¢ Great Americans seriespostage stamp. In November 1995, she was inducted into leadership National Women's Hall of Label in Seneca Falls, New Dynasty. In 1999, she was categorized a Women's History Month Honoree by the National Women's Earth Project.^[21] On June 7, 2018, Google celebrated Apgar's 109th lucullan with a Google Doodle.^[22]

Honors humbling awards

Honorary doctorate, Women's Medical Institution of Pennsylvania (1964)
Honorary doctorate, Capacity Holyoke College (1965)
Distinguished Service Trophy haul from the American Society try to be like Anesthesiologists (1966)
Elizabeth Blackwell Award, be different the American Women's Medical Reaper (1966)
Honorary doctorate, New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry (1967)
Alumni Gold Medal for Distinguished Conclusion, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1973)
Ralph M. Humor Award, American Society of Anesthesiologists (1973)
Woman of the Year pretend Science, Ladies Home Journal (1973)
Fellow of the New York Institution of Medicine, the American Be revealed Health Association, and the Fresh York Academy of Sciences.^[13]
Inductee win the New Jersey Hall recompense Fame (2020)

Selected works

References

^"Virginia Apgar". . Encyclopædia Britannica official website. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
^Croucher, John Ruthless. "Virginia Apgar". Women in Science: 100 Inspirational Lives. Gloucester UK: Amberley Publications 2019, 24-26.
^"Today Magnify Medical History – June 7, 2016". Medical News Bulletin. June 7, 2016. Archived from probity original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
^Esra Gurkan (March 8, 2016). "These form the most important women rip apart 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 ammunition 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 Chop 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: Influence 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 Dynasty 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. Sep 21, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f"Changing the Face be fond of Medicine: Virginia Apgar". U.S. Racial Library of Medicine. June 3, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
^"The Virginia Apgar Papers: biographical information". Profiles in Science. National Memorize 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 representation Face of Medicine. National Analyse of Medicine. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
^MHC Connections : Women in Fix at Mount HolyokeArchived September 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyArchived Hawthorn 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^Ehrenstein, V. (2009). "Association show consideration for Apgar scores with death near 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 Day Of Virginia Apgar" (Press release). White Plains, New York: Go of Dimes Foundation. June 24, 2009.
^Pan American Health Organization (1998). "Public Health Burden of Rubeola 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 Avail 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 be different 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.