André Levret (8 January 1703 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 ...

– 22 January 1780) 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 practised medicine in

. He was a contemporary of famed English obstetrician William Smellie (1697–1763), and along with

Jean-Louis Baudelocque Jean-Louis Baudelocque (30 November 1745 – 2 May 1810) was a French obstetrician who studied and practiced medicine in Paris. He was born in Heilly, in the French region of Picardy. Baudelocque is known for making obstetrics a scientific discip ...

(1745–1810), helped advance the science 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 ...

in 18th century France. Levret is considered by many to be the most influential figure in 18th century French obstetrics. He is known for his work involving breech maneuvers and

Caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...

s. He wrote a number of influential books in the field of obstetrics and attracted students from all over Europe, among them German obstetrician

Johann Lukas Boër Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

(1751–1835). He is credited with improving the birth

forceps Forceps (plural forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural ''forcipes'' is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Fo ...

by adding a "pelvic curve" to the instrument. A classical procedure for assisted

breech delivery A breech birth is when a baby is born bottom first instead of head first, as is normal. Around 3–5% of pregnant women at term (37–40 weeks pregnant) have a breech baby. Due to their higher than average rate of possible complications for the ...

is sometimes referred to as a "Mauriceau-Levret manipulation", named after Levret and physician

François Mauriceau François Mauriceau (1637 – 17 October 1709) was a French obstetrician. __TOC__ Life Born in Paris, he received his training in obstetrics at the Hôtel-Dieu. He was a leading obstetrician in 17th-century Europe — in 1668 he published, ...

(1637–1709). This procedure is also known as "Lachapelle’s manoeuvre", named after

midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

Marie-Louise Lachapelle Marie-Louise Lachapelle (1 January 1769 – 4 October 1821) was a French midwife, head of obstetrics at the Hôtel-Dieu, the oldest hospital in Paris. She published textbooks about women's bodies, gynecology, and obstetrics. She argued again ...

(1769–1821). He was a member of the

Académie Royale de Chirurgie An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

Principal works

* ''Observations sur les causes et les accidents de plusieurs accouchements laborieux'', fourth edition, Paris, C. Osmont, 1747–1770. (translated into German)—Treatise on difficult deliveries. * ''Observations sur la cure radicale de plusieurs polypes de la matrice, de la gorge, et du nez''. 1749. third edition, revised and expanded, Paris, 1771—About a radical cure for polyps of the matrix, throat and nose. * ''L’art des accouchements'' etc. Paris, Delaguette, 1753; 1761; 1766. (translated into German)—Treatise on birthing.Bibliography of Levret
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Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograph ...

References

''André Levret''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Levret, Andre French obstetricians 1703 births 1780 deaths Physicians from Paris

Principal works

See also

References