Historical Perspectives

Abstract

The end of World War II brought peace, optimism, and unequaled opportunities for women, lifting barriers and generating a world of babies. The demand for physicians to man crowded nurseries increased the need to put order to the chaotic nature of the “Baby Boom.” Women physicians, still facing frustrating discrimination, focused on their work. Virginia Apgar designed a score to triage the condition of the newly born and prepare for action, if necessary. Lula Lubchenco's growth curves identified the abnormalities of growth that could affect brain development. Murdina Desmond organized intensive care to prepare for the fight against staphylococcal infections plaguing the nurseries. Mildred Stahlman transformed the intensive care unit into a laboratory to study the cardiopulmonary functions of the newborn and develop approaches to attack “hyaline membrane disease” using assisted ventilation. These women physicians, among others, had adamant observer qualities. Their work ethic, compassion, and creativity stimulated a generation of medical students who were eager to do their best to solve the newly apparent multitude of problems. They prepared for the following decades of medical technology that burst forth in the 1960s.