Sir Graham Liggins | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Bruce Jarvis | |
| Born | Graham Collingwood Liggins 24 June 1926 Thames, New Zealand |
| Died | 24 August 2010 (aged 84) |
| Known for | Obstetrics |
Sir Graham Collingwood "Mont" Liggins CBE FRS FRSNZ[1] (24 June 1926 – 24 August 2010) was a New Zealand medical scientist. A specialist in obstetrical research, he is best known for his pioneering use of hormone injections (antenatal steroids) in 1972[2] to accelerate the lung growth of premature babies. This made it possible for many preterm babies with lung problems to survive.
Early life and education
[edit]Liggins was born in 1926 in Thames; his father was a doctor.[3] He attended Thames High School and Auckland Grammar School.[4] He graduated with his medical degree from the University of Otago in 1949 and a Diploma in Obstetrics from the RCOG in London the following year.[4] In 1969 he graduated with a PhD at the University of Auckland.[3] His doctoral thesis was titled The Role of the foetal adrenal glands in the mechanism of initiation of parturition in the ewe.[5]
Career
[edit]Liggins worked as an obstetrician at National Women's Hospital in Auckland from the late 1950s where he carried out research into the reduction of death rates of premature babies.[3]
In 1971 he took up a chair as professor of obstetrics and gynaecological endocrinology at the University of Auckland.[3] In 1972, following a trial of pre-natal corticosteroids, he published his study which established that hormone treatment could improve lung development and prevent respiratory distress syndrome in premature babies.[3][4]
Honours and awards
[edit]Liggins was awarded the Polar Medal for Antarctic research in 1980.[4] In the 1983 Queen's Birthday Honours, Liggins was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to medical research.[6] He was made a Knight Bachelor, also for services to medical research, in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours.[3][4][7]
Death and legacy
[edit]Liggins died on 24 August 2010, aged 84, following a long illness.[1][8] The Liggins Institute, founded by Peter Gluckman, was named in his honour.[9] Gluckman "described him as New Zealand's greatest ever medical scientist. He showed the importance of serendipity in clinical science, and the importance of moving rapidly to application."[9]
Selected publications
[edit]- Falke, K.J.; Busch, T.; Hoffmann, O.; Liggins, G.C.; Liggins, J.; Mohnhaupt, R.; Roberts, J.D.; Stanek, K.; Zapol, W.M. (2008). "Breathing pattern, CO2 elimination and the absence of exhaled NO in freely diving Weddell seals". Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. 162 (1): 85–92. doi:10.1016/j.resp.2008.04.007.
- Harding, Jane E.; Pang, Jia-Min; Knight, David B.; Liggins, Graham C. (2001). "Do antenatal corticosteroids help in the setting of preterm rupture of membranes?". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 184 (2): 131–139. doi:10.1067/mob.2001.108331.
- Liggins, G.C. (1994). "Mechanisms of the Onset of Labour: The New Zealand Perspective". Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 34 (3): 338–342. doi:10.1111/j.1479-828X.1994.tb01085.x. ISSN 0004-8666.
- Liggins, GC (1994). "The role of cortisol in preparing the fetus for birth". Reproduction, Fertility and Development. 6 (2): 141. doi:10.1071/RD9940141. ISSN 1031-3613.
- Liggins, G. C. (1990). "Obstetric and paediatric collaboration to reduce morbidity after preterm birth". BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 97 (1): 1–3. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1990.tb01708.x. ISSN 1470-0328.
- Liggins, G.C. (1989). "Can the benefits of antepartum corticosteroid treatment be improved?". European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 33 (1): 25–30. doi:10.1016/0028-2243(89)90074-9.
- Schellenberg, Jean-Claude; Liggins, Graham C. (1987). "New approaches to hormonal acceleration of fetal lung maturation". Journal of Perinatal Medicine. 15 (5): 447–452. doi:10.1515/jpme.1987.15.5.447. ISSN 0300-5577.
- Liggins, G. C.; Howie, R. N. (1 October 1972). "A CONTROLLED TRIAL OF ANTEPARTUM GLUCOCORTICOID TREATMENT FOR PREVENTION OF THE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN PREMATURE INFANTS". Pediatrics. 50 (4): 515–525. doi:10.1542/peds.50.4.515. ISSN 0031-4005.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Gluckman, Peter; Buklijas, Tatjana (2013). "Sir Graham Collingwood (Mont) Liggins. 24 June 1926 – 24 August 2010". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 59: 193–214. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2012.0039.
- ^ "Mont Liggins". The Economist. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "Top New Zealand scientist dies aged 84". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Baby health pioneer Sir Graham Liggins dies". Radio New Zealand. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ Liggins, Graham (1969). The Role of the foetal adrenal glands in the mechanism of initiation of parturition in the ewe (Doctoral thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland. hdl:2292/3252.
- ^ "No. 49376". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 11 June 1983. p. 34.
- ^ "No. 52564". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 15 June 1991. p. 29.
- ^ Sir Graham Liggins FRS FRSNZ 1926 – 2010 Archived 21 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Research Focus. Profile: The Liggins Institute, New Zealand". The Lancet. 386: 234. 18 July 2015.
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