Dr. Pierre Budin: promoter of breastfeeding in 19th century France.

The 19th century saw the rapid development of sciences and industry as well as the continuation of world expansion of the European nations to provide the primary ingredients for their activity. Manpower demand was high, but high maternal and infant mortality did not help the growth of the French population. During the second half of the 19th century, social and health care pressures became such that the governments had to turn toward physicians for a response to ugly demographic statistics. In France, Dr. Pierre Budin, an obstetrician, addressed the issue of infant mortality by analyzing its causes. Among them, the main culprit of infant decimation was gastroenteritis resulting from contaminated cow's milk. He introduced the radical concept of the well-babies clinic. Because his action produced success, clinics expanded rapidly throughout Europe and beyond. Pierre Budin introduced the systematic nutritional status check-up of infants by weighing and measuring as well as educating mothers on the maintenance of breastfeeding and substituting the use of sterilized milk if natural nutrition failed.

The role of the French midwives in establishing the first special care units for sick newborns.

At the end of the 19th century, under Dr. Tarnier's direction, the first trials of incubators were performed at the Paris Maternity. The success led to the construction of a special pavilion for sick newborns. The midwife-in-chief, Mrs. Henry, raised the funds for the construction. The results of the initial trial are reported. In 1892, the successor of Dr. Tarnier, Dr. Budin, the Chair of Obstetrics, did not approve of the condition of the nursery. Mrs. Henry left abruptly. The unit was placed under medical direction in order to bring a scientific approach to the care of the sick newborns. Stepdown units called pouponnieres were created to assure the transition of the infants to the home and decrease neonatal mortality.