The Pinard horn was invented by Dr. Adolphe Pinard, a French obstetrician, during the 19th century. Pinard was an early supporter of advancements in prenatal care, including closer fetal health monitoring. In 1895 he invented a special stethoscope for listening to fetal activity. The device is sometimes reverently referred to as a "Pinard horn", or fetoscope (although fetoscope now refers to a fetal endoscope). 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.