Leading the Way in Children's Health

The University of Minnesota has achieved a number of pediatric milestones that have saved the lives and enhanced the health of thousands of children—here in Minnesota and around the world.

2007

World's first bone marrow and cord blood transplant to treat recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB)—a devastating skin disease

University of Minnesota Medical Center and Children's Hospital, Fairview, achieve Magnet status—awarded to only 4 percent of health care organizations nationwide—for quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice

University of Minnesota chosen as local lead for largest-ever national children's health study

2002

Performed world's first mesenchymal stem cell/cord blood transplant in pediatric patient with acute myeloid leukemia

1998

Development and patenting of a vaccine for Lyme disease

1996

First living-donor pediatric liver transplant in Minnesota

1993

First neonatal intensive care unit partnership in Minnesota

1990

Minnesota's first cochlear ear implant surgery in a child

1986

Minnesota's first infant heart transplant

1982

World's first successful strategies for kidney transplantation in infants and small children

1973

World's first successful strategies for hemodialysis—a special machine used to filter waste products from the blood—of premature and newborn babies

1968

World's first successful human bone marrow transplant (to treat a four-month-old boy with immune deficiency syndrome)

1954

World's first open-heart surgery using cross-circulation (on a 13-month-old boy)

1952

World's first successful open-heart surgery using hypothermia (on a five-year-old girl)