J. Perinat. Med. 2015; 43(4): 379

Editorial Erich Saling – The Father of Prenatal and Perinatal —Dedication to his 90th birthday

DOI 10.1515/jpm-2014-0231 know today. While he was not alone in this effort, the work he did was seminal for prenatal and perinatal medicine and The title of the book for which Erich Saling is best known determined the course of modern . is “Das Kind im Bereich der Geburtshilfe”. Translated word When the German Society of Perinatal Medicine was for word into English it is called “The Child in the Field of founded, along with its subsidiary societies all over the Obstetrics”. Saling’s choice of this particular name reflects world, pediatricians were invited to cooperate in scientific the leitmotif underlying his life as a doctor and a scientist, discourse of great interest to their childhood patients. This making the world of the unborn child accessible to scien- collaboration was continued with the foundation of the tific research. Journal of Perinatal Medicine and is now being practiced After having studied medicine in and and globally with focus on improving perinatal outcomes. The receiving his doctoral degree from the Free University of last 40−50 years have seen the founding of many national Berlin, Erich Saling pursued further professional training and international societies of perinatal medicine based as a gynecologist from 1952 to 1958 at Städtische Frauenk- on these principles, including the International Academy linik Berlin- Neukölln. In 1963, he presented his post-doc- of Perinatal Medicine (IAPM), which was formed in 2005. toral thesis on “The Ratios of Blood Gas and the Acid-Base IAPM is an independent, non-profit institution with 30 Balance of a in the Course of an Unimpaired Birth”. permanent fellows from all over the world and owes its Saling then went on to become an adjunct professor at the existence to the preparatory work done by the World Asso- Free University of Berlin in 1968. In 1979 he was appointed ciation for Perinatal Medicine, The International Society as head of the newly formed Department of Obstetrics at of the Fetus as a Patient, and the European Association the Frauenklinik Neukoelln, and became a full professor of Perinatal Medicine. Its purpose is to serve as a forum in perinatal medicine at the Free University of Berlin in the for the assessment and discussion of worldwide perinatal same year. After 38 years he retired from clinical practice in medicine. Erich Saling serves as the president of the board late 1990, but he remained an important voice in the field. of directors and it is his wish to draw up guidelines focus- Saling’s scientific interest initially focused on the ing on practical topics, while also intensifying and broad- diagnosis and treatment of the depressed neonate. He ening the academic discussions of ethics and the impact published his first works on the subject in 1958 and 1959 of globalization on perinatal medicine. and these publications remained some of the most citied Erich Saling’s life is a series of successes. He has in the field. In 60 years of scientific work that followed, been honored and recognized by many. Scientific prizes, this leitmotif essentially remained the same: the diagnosis courses, and medical schools have been named for him. of intrauterine oxygen deficiency and its consequences; I have had the privilege and honor to work with Erich avoidance of preterm deliveries and growth-restriction; and Saling as a resident, as a consultant, and as his deputy management of breech presentation. However, what makes director. I have many things in my life to thank him for. his contribution to science so exceptional is not the mul- To this day, our regular exchanges and discussions bear titude of ideas that Saling pursued, but was his discovery witness to the instruction I received from him at the start, of the unborn child. Amongst his greatest ideas was that and to our later cooperation. Thank you. of taking a blood sample from the fetus during birth. This procedure, which is referred to as the “Saling Technique,” offered new opportunities for the analysis of physiological and patho-physiological factors. This was a major mile- Professor Joachim W. Dudenhausen, MD, PhD, FRCOG Professor stone in the progress of obstetrics and revolutionized the of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; Professor and Chairman Emeritus – Department of field of perinatal medicine. Through his work in gaining Obstetrics – Charite University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, ; scientific access to the unborn child, Saling played a strong Editor in Chief – Journal of Perinatal Medicine; and part in turning the of old into the obstetrics we CEO – Foundation for the Disabled Child