Final answer:
Ignaz Semmelweis was the doctor who observed that handwashing with chlorinated lime water could greatly reduce infections in mothers giving birth in hospitals. His work highlighted the significance of hygiene in medical practices and contributed to the understanding of the germ theory of disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
The doctor who observed that mothers should give birth in hospitals to reduce the incidence of infections rather than being at home was Ignaz Semmelweis. Semmelweis discovered that the incidence of puerperal fever, also known as childbed fever, was higher in mothers attended to by doctors in hospitals as compared to those attended by midwives at home. This was because doctors often went from performing autopsies directly to attending to women in childbirth without washing their hands, thereby transferring infectious material. He strongly advocated for the practice of handwashing with chlorinated lime water by physicians and medical students before examining pregnant women, which resulted in a significant reduction in mortality rates from puerperal fever. His work set a foundation for understanding the importance of sanitation and hygiene in medical settings, and his practices ultimately led to the widespread acceptance of the germ theory of disease.