Frédérick Leboyer

Frédérick Leboyer in 1996

Frédérick Leboyer (November 1, 1918 – May 25, 2017) was a French obstetrician and author. He was best known for his 1974 book, Birth Without Violence, which popularized gentle birthing techniques, in particular, the practice of immersing newborn infants in a small tub of warm water. This method is known as a "Leboyer bath".

Leboyer also advocated low lighting and noise in a warm room to limit the supposed shock of birth, and that a newborn be laid on its mother's stomach and allowed to bond, instead of being taken away for tests.

Leboyer died on May 25, 2017 in Paris, at the age of 98.