Inspirational women in surgery—Professor Barbara Barlow: A trailblazer in pediatric injury prevention

To treat trauma and not try to stop it is absolutely immoral. Professor Barbara Barlow is an American pediatric surgeon who is known for her pioneering work in the field of pediatric injury prevention. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for children and a strong advocate of the principle that "injuries are not accidents". Following general surgery training at the Bronx Municipal Hospital and a Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, she chose to work at Harlem Hospital in New York City because of her passion for providing care to socioeconomically disadvantaged children. She was the first Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Harlem Hospital, a role she held for 24 years. Early in her career, Professor Barlow recognized there was a critical gap in the treatment of pediatric trauma—a field largely overshadowed by adult-focused research. Undeterred by the challenges, she dedicated herself for addressing this disparity. Her early research focused on the public health impact of traumatic injuries in children. One of her first important observations was that the injury rate for the Bronx was about twice the national average. Given these experiences, she focused her research on improving safety within the home. In her clinical practice, she had cared for dozens of children injured after falling from high windows. She spearheaded the Children Can't Fly campaign which sought to educate the community and encourage the New York City ordinance to require landlords to install window guards in high-rise buildings. She also started a program where nurses would perform house calls to check on children who had fallen and help their parents create a safer environment. Her efforts led to the creation of a law in New York City mandating window guards in high-rise buildings. The law reduced the fall rate in the Bronx by 50%. This was just the first of many examples of Professor Barlow identifying a problem, developing an action plan, and then implementing a program to save lives in the community. She strongly felt that "as a physician, you have a duty not only to treat sickness, disease, and injury but also to contribute to community health and wellbeing". In 1988, Professor Barlow founded the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. It is among the country's most effective injury prevention programs. The program, developed with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is comprised of hospital-based, community-oriented programs whose efforts are anchored in research, education, and advocacy. The coalition has taken on a broad spectrum of injury prevention projects, including playground safety, safe teen driving, firearm injury and poison prevention, and water safety. Currently, the coalition includes more than 42 trauma centers across the US. Since the coalition was founded, the admission rate for children with major injuries in Harlem has decreased by more than 60%. Professor Barlow has been honored by many societies and organizations throughout her distinguished career, most notably the Distinguished Career Award by the American Public Health Association, the Distinguished Women in Medicine Award by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Communities Award, and the Centers of Disease Control Foundation National Hero Award. After she retired from clinical practice, she continued her work as a Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University. Professor Barlow continues to serve as the Executive Director of the Injury Free Coalition. In reflecting on her remarkable career, Professor Barbara Barlow stands as a beacon of inspiration for all of us who care for pediatric trauma patients. Her legacy serves as a testament to the transformative power of research, innovation, community engagement, and public policy in improving lives of the children. Barbara Barlow, MD, FACS, FAAP Erin West: Writing – original draft; writing – review writing – review writing – original draft; writing – review & editing. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. None.