 
Dr. Ruth Whittemore |
Noted pediatric cardiologist
Dr. Ruth Whittemore, a retired Yale pediatric cardiologist who provided pre- and post-operative care for the infant who received the first "blue baby" operation, died on Dec. 27.
She was 84.
A widely recognized pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Whittemore was part of a team of physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1944 that performed the first surgery to increase oxygenated blood to a "blue baby." Dr. Alfred Blalock connected an artery that contained oxygenated blood to the pulmonary artery, which lacked sufficient oxygen. During the operation, the baby, blue from birth, turned pink. Dr. Whittemore, who was a pediatric resident at the time, was drawn by the experience to the field of pediatric cardiology. She was one of the first fellows trained by Helen Taussig, "the mother of pediatric cardiology," and the designer of the "blue baby" operation.
After completing her training, Dr. Whittemore established the first rheumatic fever and cardiac clinic in New England at the request of the Federal Children's Bureau. The clinic was located at the Yale School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics. In addition to providing direct care for over 1,000 patients, Dr. Whittemore trained cardiac fellows who later became leading pediatric cardiologists, created seminars for practicing physicians and established satellite research clinics around Connecticut.
With the decline in the incidence of rheumatic fever, Dr. Whittemore devoted more of her time to children with often deadly congenital cardiac abnormalities. She worked closely with Dr. William Glenn, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Yale, to evaluate children's heart conditions and provided pediatric care before, during and after surgery. When she retired, Dr. Whittemore stated that with the advances in technology and surgery, about 95% of children with congenital heart anomalies could be helped.
Dr. Whittemore's major research contribution to the pediatric cardiology field was a detailed, long-term follow up of her former patients with congenital cardiac abnormalities to ascertain the incidence of congenital anomalies in the next generation. She examined 837 children born to 427 of her former patients. Her results showed that 10% of the children had some cardiac anomaly, not necessarily the same one as their parent.
Dr. Whittemore earned a bachelor's degree in 1938 from Mount Holyoke College and was one of six women in a class of 72 who graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1942. She joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1943 as an instructor of pediatrics. During her 45 years at Yale, she held several other positions, such as director of pediatric cardiology and director of pediatric cardiac research at the New Haven Rheumatic Fever and Cardiac Program.
In 1966, Dr. Whittemore was appointed clinical professor of pediatrics at Yale, where she also created and directed a lipid clinic to evaluate the children of parents who had died from heart attacks or strokes. She treated the children who had high levels of cholesterol or other lipids to prevent early strokes and heart attacks.
Her many honors and awards include fellowships in the American College of Cardiology and the New York Academy of Science, and membership in Sigma Xi and the American Pediatric Society. In 1983, she received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Mount Holyoke College, and she was designated Woman of the Year by the American Heart Association (Connecticut) in 1984. She was one of the first pediatricians to be certified by the American Board of Pediatric Cardiologists. She authored or co-authored 53 papers and chapters in textbooks and served on councils and committees of the Connecticut Affiliates of the American Heart Association.
Dr. Whittemore is survived by three nieces, one nephew, one great-niece, one great-nephew and a sister-in-law.
T H I S
Bulletin Home
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Yale and Unions agree to seek more effective negotiations process
Campus events honor legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Center receives over $12 million in grants for research on AIDS
IN FOCUS: Electrical Engineering
'Painted Ladies' of king's court featured in exhibition
MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWSCarolyn Mazure named associate dean for faculty affairs
Research reveals that quitting smoking impairs some cognitive . . .
Tamborlane to head national project on juvenile diabetes
Study: More people now getting treated for depression
Medical students donating proceeds from show . . .
Brain abscess case linked to tongue piercing
'Art for All Seasons' showcases works by Asian artists
Works depict the human form, both draped and undraped
'A Streetcar Named Desire' comes to the Yale stage
Petrarch's poetry will be highlighted in a campus talk . . .
Symposium to examine roots of modern visual culture
Woodcut offers panoramic view of 16th-century Muslim life
OBITUARIESEnglish Professor Louis Martz: 'One of Yale's great teachers'
George Goold: Chief editor of Loeb Classical Library series
Dr. Ruth Whittemore: Noted pediatric cardiologist
Faith Hubley: Academy Award-winning animator and filmmaker
Memorial service for Naomi Schor
Funny things will happen during a Roman-style comedy week
Standing, Special and Appointments Committees
Yale seeks nominees for 2001 Seton Elm-Ivy Awards
Fellowships for foreign study and travel offered by YCIAS
Yale Books in Brief
Campus Notes
|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News|Bulletin Board
Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page