Adolphe Pinard (4 February 1844 – 1 March 1934) was a French

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

who was a native of

Méry-sur-Seine Méry-sur-Seine (, literally ''Méry on Seine'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Aube Departments of France, department in north-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Aube department References

Communes of ...

. He practiced medicine in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where he was an assistant to

Étienne Stéphane Tarnier Stéphane Étienne Tarnier (29 April 1828 – 23 November 1897) was a French obstetrician who was a native of Aiserey. He studied and practiced medicine in Paris, and is often considered as doyen of French obstetrics during the second half of t ...

(1828–1897) and a professor of

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

, as well as a member of parliament for the Paris region.

Career

Pinard was a pioneer of modern

perinatal Prenatal development () includes the development of the embryo and of the fetus during a viviparous animal's gestation. Prenatal development starts with fertilization, in the germinal stage of embryonic development, and continues in fetal devel ...

care and the "puericulture movement" — the teaching of infant care to expectant mothers in French obstetrics. He made a number of contributions in his work involving pre-natal and maternal health, and was an advocate of providing social care for pregnant women from deprived environments. He established abdominal obstetric

palpation Palpation is the process of using one's hands to check the body, especially while perceiving/diagnosing a disease or illness. Usually performed by a health care practitioner, it is the process of feeling an object in or on the body to determine ...

methods, and his name is associated with "Pinard's manoeuvre", a technique used in breech extraction. In 1895 he invented a special

stethoscope The stethoscope is a medical device for auscultation, or listening to internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the skin, and one or two tubes connected to two earpieces. ...

for listening to fetal activity. The device is sometimes reverently referred to as a "

Pinard horn A Pinard horn is a type of stethoscope used to listen to the heart rate of a fetus during pregnancy. It is a hollow horn, often made of wood or metal, about long. It functions similarly to an ear trumpet by amplifying sound. The user holds the wi ...

", or fetoscope (although fetoscope now refers to a fetal

endoscope An endoscope is an inspection instrument composed of image sensor, optical lens, light source and mechanical device, which is used to look deep into the body by way of openings such as the mouth or anus. A typical endoscope applies several modern t ...

). Pinard horns are a safe and non-invasive tool used to listen to the fetal heart tones, and are still in use worldwide today, primarily by Midwives. Pinard was a founder member of the French Eugenics Society in 1913 and served as its president. Eugenic ideas were incorporated into his idea of 'puériculture'. He also served as a parliamentary deputy for the Radical party between 1919 and 1928. As a deputy he argued for pro-natalist policies, but he was also sympathetic to and an influence on French feminism. In 1926 he introduced a law requiring future spouses to provide a pre-nuptial certificate of good health (attesting the absence of contagious diseases) before the marriage could be officially registered.

Death and legacy

Pinard died on 1 March 1934 in Méry-sur-Seine. Today the ''Maternité Adolphe-Pinard'' in Nancy and the ''Boulevard Adolphe Pinard'' in Paris are named after him. This

boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...

is a boundary between Paris and the city of

Malakoff Malakoff () is a suburban commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department southwest of Paris, France. Located from the centre of the city, it had a population of 30,286 in 2016. The European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) is base ...

Writings

* ''Traité du palper abdominal, au point de vue obstétrical, et de la version par manœuvres externes'', H. Lauwereyns, 1878 - Treatise on

abdominal palpation An abdominal examination is a portion of the physical examination which a physician or nurse uses to clinically observe the abdomen of a patient for signs of disease. The physical examination typically occurs after a thorough medical history is ...

, etc. * ''Traitement de l'infection puerpérale'' (in collaboration with Victor Wallich), G. Steinheil, 1896 - Treatment of puerperal infection. * ''Clinique obstétricale'', Steinheil, 1899 - Obstetrical clinic. * ''La puériculture du premier âge : nourriture, vêtement, hygiène'', Colin, 1904 - Childcare in infancy: nourishment, clothing,

hygiene Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

. * ''L'enseignement de la puériculture'' (in collaboration with Henri Méry), Impr. nationale, 1912 - Instruction in puericulture.Bibliography copied from an article on "Adolphe Pinard" at the

French Wikipedia The French Wikipedia (french: Wikipédia en français) is the French-language edition of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. This edition was started on 23 March 2001, two months after the official creation of Wikipedia. It has article ...

References

www.emilypinard.com

External links

Neonatology on the Web
The History of Neonatology French obstetricians 1844 births 1934 deaths {{France-med-bio-stub