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Julio Meneghello Rivera (1911 – 15 August 2009) was a Chilean physician, scientist, academic, and researcher, considered the initiator of social pediatrics in his country.

Biography

Julio Meneghello obtained his professional degree in 1936 at the University of Chile. Between 1941 and 1943 he did postgraduate studies at the American universities Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell.

In 1950 he assisted in the establishment of the Pediatric Research Laboratory, which gave rise in 1977 to the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Chile [es].

He is considered the father of modern pediatrics in the country, among other things, because he was the first in the world – around 1955 – to put into practice the systematized use of oral serums to treat acute diarrhea with great dehydration in malnourished children. In addition, he and his team found the ideal composition of these hydrating serums, which (with certain modifications) would be recommended by entities such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF for the management of these minors.

The importance of this scientific and pedagogical work was recognized by the medical journal The Lancet in 1978, as one of the most important medical advances of the 20th century for developing countries.

In 1995 Meneghello received the Rector Juvenal Hernández Jaque Medal, awarded by the University of Chile to those members of their community who, in the exercise of their professions, have rendered distinguished services.

In 1996 he received Chile's National Prize for Applied Sciences and Technologies for his contribution to eradicating malnutrition and reducing infant mortality in the country.

In 2002 he was awarded his country's National Prize for Medicine.

Julio Meneghello died of pneumonia in Santiago on 15 August 2009, at age 98.

References

1. ^ "Destacado pediatra obtiene premio nacional de Medicina" [Distinguished Pediatrician Gets National Prize for Medicine]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Santiago. 18 January 2002. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
2. ^ "Meneghello recibe su galardón" [Meneghello Receives His Award]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 30 April 2002. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
3. ^ "Fallece médico considerado uno de los pioneros de la pediatría chilena" [Doctor Considered One of the Pioneers of Chilean Pediatrics Dies]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Santiago. 15 August 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
4. ^ "Dr. Julio Meneghello R." (in Spanish). CONICYT. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
5. "Dr. Julio Meneghello Rivera". Boletín médico del Hospital Infantil de México (in Spanish). 54 (5): 252. May 1997. Retrieved 15 December 2017 – via Google Books.
6. "Julio Meneghello Rivera (1911–2009)" (in Spanish). University of Antofagasta. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.

• 1911 births
• 2009 deaths
• Academic staff of the University of Chile
• Chilean people of Italian descent
• Chilean pediatricians
• Cornell University alumni
• Deaths from pneumonia in Chile
• Harvard University alumni
• Johns Hopkins University alumni
• Medical educators
• University of Chile alumni
• 20th-century Chilean physicians
• 21st-century Chilean physicians