Virginia Apgar

Virginia Apgar

1. First woman at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons to be named a full professor

2. Designed and introduced the Apgar Score in 1952; the first standardized method for evaluating a newborn’s transition to life outside the womb

3. Studied obstetrical anesthesia (the effects of anesthesia given to a mother during labor on her newborn baby)

4. The Collaborative Project, a huge study involving 17,221 babies, established that her score, especially the 5-minute score, can predict neonatal survival and neurological development

   • *Refer to Early Child Development/Care section for more information on the Apgar Scale.

5. Worked for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to raise awareness about birth defects and to raise money for medical research

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