Michel Odent Death and Obituary – Michel Odent, a French-born obstetrician and visionary in the field of natural childbirth, passed away peacefully in London, England, on August 19, 2025, at the age of 95 following a brief illness. His family confirmed his death, marking the end of a remarkable life dedicated to transforming the way the world approaches birth and early childhood.
Born on July 7, 1930, in Bresles, France, Odent trained as a surgeon in Paris during the 1950s. His early medical career was marked by a commitment to patient-centered care, which would later define his pioneering approach to obstetrics. Over the course of his professional life, Odent challenged conventional practices in maternity care, advocating for a model that prioritized the natural instincts of mothers and the physiological needs of newborns.
Odent gained international recognition while overseeing the surgical and maternity units at the Pithiviers Hospital in France from 1962 to 1985. There, he introduced a series of groundbreaking innovations that would leave a lasting imprint on obstetric care. Among his notable contributions were the establishment of home-like birthing rooms, the introduction of birthing pools to facilitate water births, and organized singing sessions for pregnant women to promote relaxation and well-being. These practices, once considered unconventional, are now widely adopted in modern maternity care around the world.
In the later stages of his career, Odent relocated to London, where he founded the Primal Health Research Centre. There, he focused on research into the “primal period”—the span from conception to a child’s first birthday—highlighting the long-term health consequences of early life experiences. He extensively published on topics such as breastfeeding, early maternal-infant bonding, and the physiological benefits of natural childbirth. His research emphasized the critical role of early life conditions in shaping lifelong health, an idea that has influenced both medical professionals and parenting communities globally.
Odent was also a passionate advocate for the demedicalization of birth. He consistently stressed the importance of respecting a woman’s natural birthing instincts, fostering the mother-newborn bond, and creating environments that reduce unnecessary medical interventions. His approach combined rigorous scientific observation with a deep empathy for the human experience of childbirth, earning him both respect and admiration across the medical and midwifery communities.
Following his passing, tributes poured in from organizations and individuals whose work had been inspired by his vision. La Leche League International, Midwifery Today, and countless practitioners and parents around the globe recognized Odent’s lasting impact on childbirth education, maternal care, and early childhood research. Plans for a public memorial are underway, allowing the community to celebrate the life of a man whose work reshaped how society views birth and nurtures its youngest members.
Michel Odent’s legacy will endure not only in the medical practices he pioneered but also in the countless lives of mothers, children, and families whose early experiences he sought to protect and enhance. His life stands as a testament to the power of compassion, innovation, and unwavering dedication to human well-being.
