Norman Gregg

Sir Norman McAlister Gregg (7 March 1892 – 27 July 1966) was an Australian ophthalmologist, who discovered that rubella suffered by a pregnant woman could cause birth defects in her child (congenital rubella syndrome).

Early life and education Gregg was born on 7 March 1892 in Burwood, a suburb of Sydney. He was educated at Homebush Grammar School and Sydney Grammar School, and then studied medicine at the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and first-class honours in 1915.

During his education, Gregg was an active and capable sportsman, playing cricket, tennis, baseball, swimming and ice hockey at university. From 1913 to 1914, he represented New South Wales in cricket three times, and once in tennis. Had it not been for the outbreak of World War I, Gregg would have qualified for the Australian Davis Cup team. He served on the Western Front during World War I attached to the East Yorkshire Regiment's 17th Battalion, and later with the 52nd Field Ambulance. He left the army on 7 March 1920, retaining the rank of captain.

The citation for his MC read:

T./Capt. Norman McAlister Gregg, M.B., R.A.M.C.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid. He untiringly attended to the wounded under heavy enemy fire until the last man was cleared, and showed great coolness and devotion to duty. He worked persistently throughout the raid in the open, and searched for any wounded that might have been overlooked. He behaved splendidly. Investigating the medical records of children with similar conditions, Gregg discovered that out of 78 affected children, 68 had been exposed to rubella in utero. There had been an outbreak of rubella and meningitis in Australian army camps in 1941, which had been transmitted to the wider community when the men returned to their families.

On 15 October 1941, Gregg delivered a paper, Congenital Cataract following German Measles in the Mother, to the Ophthalmological Society of Australia in Melbourne which published it in its journal, Transactions. Following press coverage of his paper, Gregg was contacted by two mothers who had contracted rubella, and whose children suffered from deafness, and he subsequently issued a further paper detailing Further Observations on Congenital Defects in Infants following Maternal Rubella. On 29 August 1952, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Sydney On 1 January 1953, he was made a Knight Bachelor for services to medical science in the New Year Honours. He received the accolade from the Governor-General of Australia at Government House, Canberra on 28 January 1953. In 1962, Sir Norman was given the Australian Father of the Year award. A lecture theatre at the University of Sydney's School of Public Health, and a suite of operating theatres at the Children's Hospital at Westmead are named after him.