Last Updated: 19 May, 2023 | Views: 969
Age: 87
Profession: Doctor
Famous For: Pioneer in pediatric cardiology
Higher Education: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
About (Profile/Biography):
Helen Brooke Taussig was a cardiologist from the United States who practiced in Boston and Baltimore and is credited with creating pediatric cardiology. She is credited with coming up with the idea for surgery to help children born with the Tetralogy of Fallot live longer (the most common cause of blue baby syndrome). The Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt is an operation that reflects this idea in practice. The procedure was created by Taussig's coworkers at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Following an ear infection as a kid, Taussig became partially deaf, and in her early adulthood, she became completely deaf.
Career:
In 1947: Taussig published her magnum opus after gathering materials for a decade.
In 1960: The second edition of her book was published in two volumes.
In 1963: She remained the director of the Harriet Lane Home until she retired from Johns Hopkins.
In 1967: Back in America, she began campaigning to block FDA approval of thalidomide, speaking at a meeting of the American College of Physicians, publishing articles, and testifying before Congress.
In 1977: Taussig continued to research periodically at the University of Delaware after moving to a retirement community in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Achievements and Awards:
• In 1947: Taussig was honored with the Chevalier (knight) of the Legion d'Honneur.
• In 1965: She was elected as the first female pediatrician president of the American Heart Association.
• In 1982: American Medical Women's Association honored Taussig with its Elizabeth Blackwell Medal.
Unknown Facts:
• Taussig was also widely regarded as a highly-skilled physician responsible for banning thalidomide.
• She was the American Heart Association's first woman president. The fact that she was the first pediatrician to be elected head of the AMA made her even more proud.
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