Dr. Helen Taussig was the first doctor to establish intensive pediatric care; she dedicated her life’s research to a condition called Blue Baby Syndrome. Throughout her lifetime she received worldwide honours. Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright, Celebrities Interesting Facts By Nationality, Celebrities Interesting Facts By Profession. Two months after the surgery she was discharged from hospital. [8] Her and others' efforts paid off: the drug was banned in the United States and Europe. Taussig formally retired from Johns Hopkins in 1963, but continued to teach, give lectures, and lobby for various causes. Helen Taussig was born on the 24th of May, 1898, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the youngest of four children. On November 29, 1944, Eileen Saxton, an infant affected by tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart disorder that gives rise to blue baby syndrome and that was previously considered untreatable, became the first patient to survive a successfully implanted Blalock-Taussig shunt. Alfred Blalock and Helen B. Taussig in 1944. [8] Despite this, she did well at school due to diligent work and extensive tutoring from her father. [20] In most infants, the ductus arteriosus closes within a few weeks of birth so that blood flows to the lungs to be oxygenated; if it remains open or 'patent', the normal flow of blood is disrupted. Relying on this method, Taussig noticed common beat patterns in the malformed hearts of infant patients who outwardly displayed a cyanotic hue and hence were known as “blue babies.” She traced the root of the problem to a lack of oxygenated blood circulating from the lungs to the heart. "[14], Taussig ended up taking classes at Boston University in histology, bacteriology, and anatomy, without expecting to receive a degree. (juvenile), Walker, 1992.

[1], As well as her day to day clinical work as a paediatrician, Taussig was also an accomplished academic clinician. First was Canadian pathologist Maude Abbott of McGill University in Montreal.

[31] In her research into the long-term outcomes of recipients of the shunt, Taussig remained in touch with many of her patients as they grew to adulthood and middle age. As a child, the dyslexic Taussig laboured to become proficient in reading and was tutored by her father, who recognized the potential of her logical mind. While this was going on, Taussig observed that infants with cyanotic heart defects such as Tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary atresia often fared remarkably better if they also had a patent ductus arteriosus, with less severe symptoms and longer survival. Doctor Born in Massachusetts #4. The procedure was developed by Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, who were Taussig's colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. [8][16][17] After completing her MD degree in 1927 at Johns Hopkins, Taussig remained for one year as a cardiology fellow and for two years as a pediatrics intern,[2] and received two Archibald Fellowships, spanning 1927–1930. In addition, Taussig testified before the U.S. Congress about the harmful effects of the drug thalidomide, which had produced deformed children in Europe. This is a condition where the babies are born with a heart defect, causing poor blood circulation and giving them the blue skin. Her father, Frank Taussig, was a professor in Economy at Harvard University. After hearing about this issue from one of her students in January 1962, Taussig travelled to Germany and examined some of these children for herself. [14] She broached the idea to Robert Gross, and he was skeptical, reportedly telling her ""I have enough trouble closing the ductus arteriosus. In 1930 Park elevated Taussig to director of Hopkins’ Harriet Lane Clinic, a health care centre for children, making her one of the first women in the country to hold such a prestigious position.

[13] Instead she considered applying to study public health, partially because her father thought it a more suitable field for women,[14] but learned that as a woman she could attend the programme but would not be recognised with a degree. Helen Brooke Taussig (May 24, 1898 – May 20, 1986) was an American cardiologist, working in Baltimore and Boston who founded the field of pediatric cardiology. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The first 300 years", "Dr. Helen Taussig, 87, Dies; Led in Blue Baby Operation", "OBITUARIES : 'First Lady of Cardiology' Dies in Crash : Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig Pioneered 'Blue-Baby' Operation", "Department of Surgery - Norwood Procedure", "The Blalock and Taussig Shunt Revisited", "Congenital Malformations of the Heart, Volume I: General Considerations — Helen B. Taussig | Harvard University Press", "Congenital Malformations of the Heart: Vol. On her father’s side she came from a distinguished St. Louis, Missouri, family. Helen Taussig, examining small girl in wheel chair, circa 1947. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. She was more proud of the fact that she was the first pediatrician to be elected head of the AMA. Helen Brooke Taussig, (born May 24, 1898, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.—died May 20, 1986, Kennett Square, Pa.), American physician recognized as the founder of pediatric cardiology, best known for her contributions to the development of the first … At the time, she was only the second woman to reach full professor status at the university. Surgical treatment of the tetralogy of Fallot has been an important…, In collaboration with Taussig, Blalock devised a procedure known as subclavian-pulmonary artery anastomosis, by which the congenital heart defect that produced the “blue baby” syndrome could be corrected and the patient enabled to lead a nearly normal life. Taussig reasoned that the creation of an arterial patent ductus, or shunt, would alleviate the problem, and she championed the cause before American surgeon Alfred Blalock, Hopkins’ chief of the department of surgery.

[1] In general, cyanotic symptoms would often begin or worsen shortly after birth, a change which Taussig suspected was caused by the natural closure of the ductus arteriosus. We would like to express to you our deepest thanks for your contribution. [1], Together with the cardiologist Richard Bing, Taussig was in 1949 the first to describe a heart condition now known as Taussig-Bing syndrome. This concept was applied in practice as a procedure known as the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt. [1], One of the major benefits of this surgery was that children gained the ability to play actively without the rapid exhaustion and frequent loss of consciousness that usually results from cyanotic heart defects. When Taussig was told this by the dean of the medical school, she asked why anyone would want to attend without any hope of getting a degree, to which the dean replied, "That is what we are hoping." Notably, she is credited with developing the concept for a procedure that would extend the lives of children born with Tetralogy of Fallot (the most common cause of blue baby syndrome). [2], Taussig is also known for her work in banning thalidomide and was widely recognized as a highly-skilled physician. I: General Considerations", "Arterial switch operation in patients with Taussig–Bing anomaly — influence of staged repair and coronary anatomy on outcome", "Double outlet right ventricle : MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia", "Awards – by Award – YIDP – Young Investigators Day", https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386792/awards?ref_=tt_awd, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helen_B._Taussig&oldid=978539611, University of California, Berkeley alumni, Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences, Recipients of the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, Fellows of the American College of Cardiology, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1948: Passano Foundation Award for an outstanding contribution to medical science, shared with, 1954: Albert Lasker Award for Outstanding Contributions to Medicine, 1957: Eleanor Roosevelt Achievement Award, 1976: Awarded the Milton S. Eisenhower Medal for Distinguished Service by, 1982: Elizabeth Blackwell Medal awarded by the American Medical Women's Association, 2018: The Helen B. Taussig Research Award began to be given out to postdoctoral fellows holding appointments in the Basic Sciences and clinical Departments at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, This page was last edited on 15 September 2020, at 14:32.

Notably, she is credited with developing the concept for a procedure that would extend the lives of children born with Tetralogy of Fallot (the most common cause of blue baby syndrome). Helen B. Taussig interesting facts, biography, family, updates, life, childhood facts, information and more: Cambridge School for Girls, Cambridge, MA (1917), Radcliffe College (attended, 1917-19), BA, University of California at Berkeley (1921), Harvard University (attended), Boston University (attended), MD, Johns Hopkins University (1927), Frank William Taussig (economist professor at Harvard, b. Taussig later recalled, "I suppose nothing would ever give me as much delight as seeing the first patient change from blue to pink in the operating room... bright pink cheeks and bright lips. This concept was applied in practice as a procedure known as the Blalock-Taussig shunt. The procedure was developed by Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, who were Taussig's colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the turn of the 21st century, some of these early patients continued to survive into their sixth decade. She also struggled with severe dyslexia through her early school years and was partially deaf. Later, American laboratory technician Vivien Thomas was also recognized for his contributions to the surgery. Physicians originally believed the early blue babies could possibly endure a 40-year life span. Most paediatric clinics at the time focussed on rheumatic fever, which was the major source of child mortality, but because of Taussig's experience, the Harriet Lane Home was also able to provide specialist care for children with congenital heart disease. I certainly don’t want to try to make an artificial one. Helen Brooke Taussig (May 24, 1898 – May 20, 1986) was an American cardiologist, working in Baltimore and Boston who founded the field of pediatric cardiology. Together they developed the Blalock-Taussig shunt, an artery-like tube designed to deliver oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart. In 1930, Taussig was appointed by Edwards A. Taussig’s father, Frank William Taussig, held the Henry Lee chair in economics at Harvard University. [22], In 1947, after a decade of gathering material,[17] Taussig published her magnum opus, Congenital Malformations of the Heart,[32] considered to be the foundational text of pediatric cardiology as an independent field. This concept was applied in practice as a procedure known as the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt. Taussig’s career advanced, but her personal challenges mounted. Taussig diagnosed her with Tetralogy of Fallot, a diagnosis which meant that without intervention she certainly would not survive to adulthood. [18] She continued to serve as the director of the Harriet Lane Home (the children's treatment and research centre at Johns Hopkins) until her retirement in 1963. Taussing also developed a method of using her fingers, rather than a stethoscope, to feel the rhythm of their heartbeats.

Taussig’s ideas and determination have had long-lasting impacts on cardiology.