- Skin-to-skin contact between newborn and mother has been shown to produce positive outcomes for mom and baby.
- A new analysis finds that this practice may be particularly beneficial for babies with a low birth weight.
Gone are the days when a newborn is rushed away for testing and to record measurements immediately after entering the world. Now it's common practice to prioritize skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby and it may be even more important for those born prematurely or with a low birth weight.
During skin-to-skin contact a newborn baby is placed on the chest of the birth mother with no bedding or clothing between them, according to the CDC. Studies have shown this practice, also known as kangaroo mother care (KMC), to increase breastfeeding success rates and promote the bond between parent and child.
New findings point to a significant benefit for babies born prematurely, which the World Health Organization defines as any baby born prior to 37 weeks. Starting the practice within 24 hours of birth, and doing it for eight hours a day may reduce the risk of mortality and infection, as was reported in the British Medical Journal this week.
For the analysis, researchers in India looked at 31 existing trials that included more than 15,000 infants. Data revealed that early skin-to-skin contact between baby and mother reduced the risk of death by 32% and severe infection, such as sepsis, by 15%.
Physical touch is important for mother and father too
Skin-to-skin contact is also beneficial to the mother, as doing typically triggers the body to produce oxytocin, which is commonly referred to as the love hormone. And studies have also shown that early skin-to-skin contact reduces the duration of the third stage of labor by increasing uterine contractions after birth and decreases blood loss.
Dads can also get in on the action, since doing so helps to develop more caring demeanor in fathers and as well as a more sensitive approach to parenting, as the Irish Times reported.