Reference
- Virginia Apgar (1909–1974)Obstetrical anesthesiologist Virginia Apgar is best known as the inventor of the Apgar score, the first standardized method for evaluating a newborn's health to determine if any immediate medical intervention is required. The test, performed in the first few minutes of a baby's life, which measures pulse and respiration and examines skin color, has saved countless newborn lives. Apgar is also responsible for groundbreaking research into the effects of anesthesia during childbirth and advocacy on the prevention of birth defects.
Born and raised in Westfield, New Jersey, Apgar was determined to become a doctor at an early age, possibly inspired by the scientific experiments of her insurance executive father, who was also an amateur inventor and astronomer, or by her older brother's early death from tuberculosis or her other brother's chronic childhood illness. She attended Mount Holyoke College, where she graduated with a major in zoology in 1929. She was admitted to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, one of the first women to be enrolled there. She graduated in 1933, and, determined to become a surgeon, she won a surgical internship at Columbia, but the chair of surgery discouraged her from continuing because other women he had trained in surgery failed to establish successful careers in surgery. Instead, Apgar was encouraged to concentrate on anesthesiology (at the time not generally recognized as a specialty and handled mostly by nurses). After completing her surgical residency, Apgar trained in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin, the first in the United States, before transferring to Bellevue Hospital in New York City...
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Perspectives
Virginia Apgar
Before the advent of a simple test called the Apgar score, many newborn babies did not get the care they needed at birth. The Apgar score is a system of measuring a baby's health at the time of birth to see if he or she needs special care. Dr. Virginia Apgar saw a simple way to help these newborns by rating them in a number of different health areas. Thanks to the Apgar score, thousands of babies with special needs get the care they need immediately.
Virginia Apgar
Prior to the development of a simple test called the Apgar score, many newborn babies missed receiving the urgent care they needed at birth. Dr. Virginia Apgar came up with the Apgar score to help these newborns by rating them in a number of different health areas. The savior of countless young lives, Virginia Apgar is hailed as a legend, a trailblazer, and an inventor. Readers delve into the riveting story of a medical legend who inspired women doctors to succeed at a time when society did not value the contributions of women in the work force.
Newborn Development: Beginnings of Life
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Within the first few minutes of life, children start adapting to their new environment. In this program, we show how professionals use the Apgar test to assess a newborn’s health and the significance of the first interaction between parent and newborn. We then follow the many physical, cognitive, and social changes that newborns experience on their journey through early infancy. We also explain the crucial role of sleep and nutrition in fostering development and offer guidelines for parents to provide the best possible care for their newborn.
Virginia Apgar
- Virginia ApgarVirginia Apgar, MD (1909-1974) was an obstetric anesthesiologist best known for the Apgar Score, a clinical system for evaluating the physical condition of newborns at birth. She joined the March of Dimes in 1959 and became Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs.
Online Resources
- Virginia Apgar (1909-1974): Apgar score innovator.Born in New Jersey, United States, on 7 June 1909, Virginia Apgar was set on becoming a physician ever since she was in high school. She was inspired by her father’s hobby in scientific projects such as building telescopes, and by an older brother who was afflicted with and subsequently died of tuberculosis. Apgar attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and graduated in 1929 with a degree in zoology. During college, she had to take on odd jobs to support herself, including rounding up stray cats for a research laboratory and
playing the cello and violin in the college orchestra - Virginia Apgar (1909-1974): neurological evaluation of the newborn infant.Neurologists often are asked to advise about epilepsy, infant and childhood cerebral handicap, their aetiology, treatment and prognosis. A crucial factor in assessment has been the Apgar score to assess the neonatal condition that may be relevant to later neurological damage. Dr. Apgar developed the 10-point scoring system ( table 1 ) in 1952 to focus attention on neonates in the first critically precarious minutes of life. A low score immediately signaled the need for emergency attention.
Dr. Virginia Apgar: Google Celebrates The Anaesthesiologist's 109th Birthday With Doodle
- Dr. Virginia Apgar: Google Celebrates The Anaesthesiologist's 109th Birthday With DoodleGoogle is celebrating the 109th birth anniversary of American anaesthesiologist Dr Virginia Apgar, who is credited for creating the 'Apgar Score' that determines the health of a newborn baby.