Dr. Virginia Apgar's Legacy
Newborn Testing
In most births at the time, attention was focused on mothers, not the newborns, which resulted in many infant deaths. This simple test, performed in the very first minutes of a baby's life, measures an infant's pulse, skin color, activity and respiration very quickly, enabling medical staff to intervene if help is needed. This simple but brilliantly conceived examination has saved countless newborn lives.
A Great American Remembered In 1994, Apgar was pictured (above) on a U.S. postage stamp, as part of the Great Americans series.
Dr. Virginia Apgar's Career
BackgroundApgar, one of the few women admitted to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in the 1930s, trained first in surgery, but shifted her work to anesthesiology, a new field that offered the opportunity to do groundbreaking work.
Career Firsts
1. She was named director of anesthesiology at Columbia, the first woman to head a department at the University.
2. In 1949, after she built a major academic department in anesthesiology, she was named a full professor of the department -- the first woman to hold a full professorship in ANY discipline at Columbia University.
3. In 1973, Dr. Apgar became the first woman to receive the Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Medicine from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.
March of Dimes
Apgar's career shifted again in 1959 when she became a senior executive with the National Foundation-March of Dimes, and spent her time working to generate public support and funds for research on birth defects.
She was a spectacular fundraiser and educator of the public, and greatly increased both visibility and attention paid to the problems of birth defects.
Donate to The March of Dimes
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Virginia Apgar at a Glance
Virginia Apgar (? ) was an American physician who specialised in anesthesia. She was a leader in the fields of anesthesiology and teratology, and effectively founded the field of neonatology. To the public, however, she is best known as the developer of the Apgar test, a method of assessing the health of newborn babies that has drastically reduced infant mortality over the world.
More on Apgar and Infants
Biography - Apgar, Virginia (1909-1974): An article from: Contemporary Authors
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 12/19/2009) 
List Price: $9.95
The Complete Resource Book for Infants: Over 700 Experiences for Children from Birth to 18 Months
Amazon Price: $18.96 (as of 12/19/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 12/19/2009)
List Price: $15.95
Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Revised Edition: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Caring for your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/19/2009)
List Price: $20.00
Kangaroo Care: The Best You Can Do to Help Your Preterm Infant
Amazon Price: $13.50 (as of 12/19/2009)
List Price: $15.00
What do you think of Virginia Apgar?
"Nobody, but nobody, is going to stop breathing on me."
More About Dr. Apgar
- What Is the Apgar Score?
- The very first test given to your newborn, the Apgar score occurs right after your baby's birth in the delivery or birthing room.
- Changing the Face of Medicine | Dr. Virginia Apgar
- National Institute of Health- Women Physicians
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Your Thoughts on Virginia Apgar!
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Reply
- NeoDoc NeoDoc May 14, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
- Great Lens! As a Neonatologist, I have a great deal of admiration for the work of Dr. Apgar and enjoyed your lens very much!
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Reply
- herbie66 herbie66 Dec 14, 2008 @ 8:25 am
- Welcome to the 'Pregnancy and Baby' Group
( http://www.squidoo.com/groups/pregnancy-baby )
5 stars for your great lens!
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Reply
- RinchenChodron RinchenChodron Dec 3, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
- What a fascinating lens. I'm familiar with the APGAR rating, but didn't know much about the woman. I learned a lot. *****
by monarch13
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