OdonAssist™, an innovative birth device first used in Southmead Hospital, is now approved for routine care across Europe.
Mothers and babies of Bristol led the way for the first new assisted birth device to reach clinical practice since the 1950s. Since July 2025, across Europe the device has been used to safely deliver more than 300 babies.
North Bristol NHS Trust’s Southmead Hospital made history in 2018 when it became the site of the first assisted vaginal birth in Europe using OdonAssist™. Bristol was chosen to lead this innovation in childbirth due to its international reputation for safety, multiprofessional training, and excellence in maternity care.
This success reflects the strength of collaboration across the city. Midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists and research staff at Southmead Hospital worked in close partnership with local organisations including Limbs & Things, the Bristol-based manufacturer of medical training equipment, the PROMPT Maternity Foundation, the University of Bristol, and the University of the West of England. This work was supported by funding from the Gates Foundation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Together, these teams have brought to life the first innovation in assisted vaginal birth in over 150 years.
Dr Joanna Crofts, Consultant Obstetrician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said:
“When we started on this journey, we thought it may be a challenge asking women who were about to have a baby to take part in something so new. But mothers in Bristol are extraordinarily generous and hundreds of women came forward to offer their support. Thanks to their help we now have an alternative to forceps and ventouse, something which the women we care for tell us is desperately needed.”
OdonAssist™ uses an inflatable air cuff placed gently around the baby’s head to assist birth during contractions. A doctor is then able to use the device to guide the baby through the birth canal.
Dr Claire Rose, Consultant Neonatologist at North Bristol NHS Trust, said:
“It’s exciting to be part of the development of a new device to support women during birth. Most ventouse and forceps births occur safely, but occasionally they can cause soft tissue damage for the mother or the baby. When newborn babies are more comfortable, it supports bonding with their families.”
The history of OdonAssist™
The device, which originated from a simple idea by Argentine inventor Jorge Odón in 2006 and was developed by Maternal Newborn Health Innovations (MNHI), has been refined through nearly two decades of research, including the ASSIST and ASSIST II trials carried out in Bristol. Southmead Hospital’s role in delivering the first assisted birth using the device cemented its position as a global hub for maternity innovation.
In spring 2025, the device was award CE Kitemark approval, which confirmed that it was safe to be used in hospitals across Europe. Since July 2025, more than 300 babies have already been safely delivered using the device.
On Tuesday, 5 May, families who participated in the ASSIST trials joined midwives, obstetricians, researchers and partners in London to celebrate the official launch of OdonAssist™ - a moment that recognises both a technological breakthrough, and the people of Bristol who made it possible. Plans are underway to make the device available for women giving birth at Southmead Hospital from summer 2026.
Dr Emily Hotton, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Resident Doctor and investigator in the clinical trials at Southmead Hospital, added:
“Being able to provide another option that has been developed with women in NHS hospitals is phenomenal. I’m incredibly proud of the collaborative work of teams here in Bristol and across Europe that has brought OdonAssist™ into routine clinical practice.”
This milestone highlights Bristol’s unique strength as a centre of clinical excellence, research innovation, and cross-sector collaboration, demonstrating what can be achieved when expertise, partnership and shared purpose come together to improve care for women and families worldwide.