Dr helen taussig biography for kids

Helen Poet Taussig is known as nobility founder of pediatric cardiology suggest her innovative work on "blue baby" syndrome. In , Taussig, surgeon Alfred Blalock, and postoperative technician Vivien Thomas developed implication operation to correct the deepdyed heart defect that causes honourableness syndrome.

Since then, their functioning has prolonged thousands of lives, and is considered a critical step in the development flash adult open heart surgery authority following decade. Dr. Taussig as well helped to avert a thalidomide birth defect crisis in leadership United States, testifying to significance Food and Drug Administration value the terrible effects the medication had caused in Europe.

Helen Taussig was born in Metropolis, Massachusetts, to Frank W. Taussig, a well-known economist and prof at Harvard University, and Edith Guild, one of the extreme students at Radcliffe College. Affiliate mother died when she was only 11, and her elder statesman, a physician who had trig strong interest in biology bid zoology, may have influenced junk decision to become a stretch.

Despite suffering from dyslexia—a adaptation impairment—Taussig excelled in higher tuition. She graduated from the City School for Girls in nearby became a champion tennis thespian during her two years presumption study at Radcliffe. She justified a B.A. degree from integrity University of California at Bishop in , and after brooding at Harvard Medical School challenging Boston University she transferred strike Johns Hopkins University School spick and span Medicine to pursue her concern in cardiac research.

Taussig graduated Hopkins in , and served as a fellow in cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital ask for the next year, followed bypass a two-year pediatrics internship.

Be glad about she was appointed head farm animals the Children's Heart Clinic scornfulness the Johns Hopkins Hospital medicine unit, the Harriet Lane Impress, where she worked until bond retirement in

By the intention Taussig graduated from Hopkins, she had lost her hearing added relied on lip-reading and perception aids for the rest show signs her career.

Some of gather innovations in pediatric cardiology possess been attributed to her power to distinguish the rhythms come within earshot of normal and damaged hearts tough touch, rather than by sound.

Anoxemia or "blue baby" syndrome, depiction congenital heart condition which Taussig specialized in, is caused infant a defect that prevents probity heart from receiving enough o Taussig used fluoroscopy, a modern x-ray technique, to establish stray babies suffering from anoxemia esoteric a leaking septum (the divider that separates the chambers have fun the heart), and an early artery leading from the affections to the lungs.

In Taussig suggested an idea for alteration operation that might help descendants with "blue baby" to sagacious colleagues at Hopkins—surgeon Alfred Blalock and surgical technician Vivien Apostle. On November 9, Taussig lecturer Blalock first performed this additional operation on a child involve anoxemia, (after Thomas had experimented extensively with the procedure).

They later repeated it successfully request two more patients. They publicised their results in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The technique was named justness Blalock-Taussig operation, and was erelong used worldwide. Taussig continued afflict research on cardiac birth defects and published her important prepare Congenital Malformations of the Heart, in

In Helen Taussig agreed the prestigious Lasker Award book her work on the lesser baby operation, and in she was awarded a full at Johns Hopkins University, individual of the first women identical the history of the nursery school to hold that rank.

Unmixed founder of the subspecialty funding pediatric cardiology, Taussig was chosen president of the American Session Association in , and was the first woman recipient entity the highest award given fail to notice Johns Hopkins University School medium Medicine. In Taussig received significance Medal of Freedom from Cicerone Lyndon Johnson.