Margaret Jones, 97; Cerebral Palsy Expert

Dr. Margaret Holden Jones, a retired UCLA pediatrician and pioneer in the treatment of cerebral palsy, has died. She was 97.

Jones, who died Sunday at her home in Pacific Palisades, had continued to see patients during occasional rounds at the Center for Cerebral Palsy at UCLA-Orthopaedic Hospital until about a year ago. She died in her sleep of congestive heart failure, said her longtime friend Carol Hurley.

The doctor was revered by her patients and their families for her attention to quality-of-life issues affecting people with cerebral palsy, a complex disorder that results from damage to the developing brain. Although most treatment of cerebral palsy centers on muscle control, Jones advocated more attention to the speaking, breathing and swallowing problems that often affect patients.

In one famous experiment, Jones mixed barium, a contrasting agent used to highlight tissue in X-rays, into chocolate brownies to permit a detailed X-ray analysis of lip and tongue motions while chewing. Her aim was to help patients improve their swallowing function in order to avoid feeding tubes.

Jones believed in tailoring care to cerebral palsy patients of all ages. Early in her career, she opened one of the first nursery schools devoted to children with the disorder. Years later, she succeeded in persuading UCLA to open its children’s cerebral palsy clinic to adult patients as well.

“Patients loved her, and many stuck with her for more than half a century,” said Dr. William Oppenheim, director of the Center for Cerebral Palsy. “She was always thinking about CP over the patient’s lifetime. She was a guiding light.”

Born June 3, 1904, in Portland, Maine, Jones was an outdoor enthusiast who relished boating and hiking. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Radcliffe College and then began studying for her master’s degree while teaching at Vassar College. After a stint working as a research chemist, Jones entered medical school and graduated from Cornell University in 1933, one of the few women in her class.

After an internship, she traveled west to her first job, at the Wyoming Department of Public Health. Among her duties was caring for what were then called “crippled” children. Her interest in cerebral palsy was born.

Jones joined a busy pediatric office in Los Angeles in 1943 and, about six years later, opened her practice in Glendale. It was there that she founded a nursery school for children with cerebral palsy and advanced a new paradigm based on the idea of treating babies with daily physical therapy. Jones taught at the USC School of Medicine from 1943 to 1954 before joining the staff of the UCLA School of Medicine.

She was the recipient of numerous awards and honors: A 1997 conference on cerebral palsy at UCLA was held in her honor. Jones also served as the sixth president of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy.

“She helped to guide that organization to the 1,500-plus members it has today,” Oppenheim said.

In her later years, Jones was admired for her longevity and active retirement. She retired from UCLA in 1972 but remained involved in the clinic. Just a few weeks ago, she put the finishing touches on a book manuscript describing the treatment of cerebral palsy over the last century, according to Oppenheim.

Jones married in 1989 at the age of 84. Her husband, Dr. Adrian C. Kanaar, a surgeon in the British army, died in 1993.

After her husband’s death, Jones established a nonprofit foundation dedicated to assisting physically challenged people, especially those with cerebral palsy, as well as fostering volunteerism in youth.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Jones-Kanaar Foundation, 742 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.

Jones is survived by her stepson, David Kanaar of Pacific Palisades.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 29 at Community United Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades.