In the early 1960s, Dr. Taussig traveled to Europe to investigate a sudden epidemic of severe infant limb deformities (phocomelia). She successfully connected the anomalies to thalidomide, a popular morning sickness medication. Returning to the U.S., she fiercely lobbied the FDA and testified before Congress. Her evidence, combined with the efforts of FDA reviewer Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey, blocked thalidomide’s approval in the U.S. and spurred rigid new pharmaceutical testing and generic labeling safety laws.
Foundational Text: In 1947, she published Congenital Malformations of the Heart, the definitive textbook that established pediatric cardiology as a distinct medical discipline.
AHA Leadership: In 1965, she became the first female president of the American Heart Association.
President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, the nation’s highest civilian honor.