Lamaze

Established: 1960 in Washington DC, USA
Founders: Elisabeth Bing and Marjorie Karmel

In 1951, Dr Fernand Lamaze introduced a new childbirth method based on techniques he had seen in Russia. This method involved antenatal workshops, relaxation exercises, breathing techniques and emotional support workshops for fathers, and became known as the Lamaze method.

Seven years later, midwives Elisabeth Bing and Marjorie Karmel met in Washington. Together they taught this method, and during the following years they founded a nonprofit organisation now known as Lamaze International.

To this day the organisation holds antenatal workshops around the world and teaches nurses and expectant mums and dads how to cope with childbirth and, above all, about the fundamentals of bringing up children.

In the early nineties, Lamaze joined forces with international toy company RC2 Coperation to release a series of educational toys. The new range was designed in cooperation with two psychologists from Yale University, Jerome and Dorothy Singer, thus creating toys that are both visually stunning and highly effective in childhood development.

Thanks to their high-quality materials, beautiful design and safety, Lamaze toys have won over 150 different awards and certificates.