What is skin-to-skin?
Skin-to-skin contact is the practice of placing a baby directly on the mother’s bare chest after birth, with both mother and baby covered in a warm blanket. Skin-to-skin contact is vital in neonatal units and is often known as ‘kangaroo care’.
It also helps parents to bond with their baby and supports better physical and developmental outcomes.
Benefits of skin-to-skin for baby and mother
There is growing evidence to suggest that skin-to-skin contact directly after birth is beneficial to babies and moms, as it:
1. provides warmth
Through skin-to-skin contact, the mother’s breasts automatically adjust to cool down or warm baby up, (just like when baby was in the womb). The mother’s skin acts as a warmer and will keep the baby at the ideal body temperature. Thermoregulation (the process that allows the body to maintain its core temperature, even when environmental temperatures change) is a particularly common problem with premature infants. In some cases it can also affect full-term infants. Skin-to-skin can help regulate the baby’s body temperature which is essential for good health.
2. normalizes breathing
Studies have shown that babies who experience skin-to-skin with mom tend to breathe more easily and more rhythmically. Skin-to-skin contact helps baby’s body self-regulate, which stabilizes the heartbeat and breathing patterns.
Seventy-five percent of heart and breathing episodes may be reduced using skin-to-skin contact.
3. soothes
Pain has been shown to be reduced through skin-to-skin contact. As a result, these babies cry less often after the initial cry of birth. The mother’s chest is the best place for the baby to adjust to life in the outside world. Having someone they recognize (sound and smell) is important to make them feel secure.
4. encourages breast milk production
Having a baby on the mother's chest encourages increased release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother which stimulates breast milk production and stronger uterine contractions. (These contractions are needed to deliver the placenta and shrink the uterus back down to its normal size)- this reduces the chance of post-partum bleeding.
Additionally, one study showed that mothers that practiced kangaroo care were more likely to breastfeed exclusively and for longer periods. Mothers that were having breastfeeding difficulties saw improvements almost immediately when they started skin-to-skin care once or twice a day, for about an hour each time. This is because newborns' heightened sense of smell helps them seek out the nipple and begin breastfeeding more quickly when placed skin-to-skin.
5. reduces maternal anxiety
Studies have shown that skin-to-skin time may reduce maternal anxiety as well as the severity of postpartum depression. This is because, when holding the baby skin-to-skin, oxytocin levels increase, which reduces blood pressure and lowers stress levels. Increased oxytocin also helps restore pre-pregnancy hormone levels, reducing the risk of postpartum depression. Additionally, mothers who participate in skin-to-skin care often report lower stress levels and more positive feelings and confidence about motherhood.
6. improves neurodevelopment in babies
A Canadian study shows that babies who received kangaroo care had better brain function at 15 years old—comparable to that of adolescents born at term—than those who had been placed in incubators. Another study showed that children who grew up lacking attachment to their parents did more poorly in school and were more likely to be depressed than children who had secure parental attachment.
Brain development begins with positive sensory stimulation at birth. Sensations that tell the baby’s brain that the outside world is safe include mother’s smell, movements, and skin-to-skin contact. If the brain does not receive those assurances, brain development does not progress as effectively.
7. improves immunity in baby
Skin to skin enables colonization of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection. Stress hormones such as cortisol are lower after only 20 minutes of skin-to-skin contact. When cortisol and somatostatin are reduced, gastrointestinal problems lessen because it allows for better absorption and digestion of nutrients.
Additional to the mother’s mature immune system passing antibodies through the skin and breast milk to baby, skin-to-skin contact increases baby’s skin hydration, providing a protective barrier that prevents harmful bacteria from entering through baby’s skin.
Take Home Message
Placing your baby skin-to-skin on your body has been scientifically proven to be one of the best things you can do!
This article is written by Dr. Itumeleng Buti (MBChB)
References:
1. JoLyn Seitz. The Importance of Skin-to-Skin With Baby After Delivery. [internet] Sanford Health. [updated 2017 July 17, cited; 2022 March 16] Available from: https://news.sanfordhealth.org/childrens/the-importance-of-skin-to-skin-after-delivery-you-should-know/
2. Robin Elise Weisse. Benefits of Parent-Baby Skin-to-Skin Contact. [internet] VeryWell Family: Dot Dash Media; [ Updated 2021 June 14; Cited 2022 March 16] Available from: https://www.verywellfamily.com/benefits-of-parent-baby-skin-to-skin-contact-2758462
3. Cleveland Clinic. Skin-to-Skin Contact for You & Baby. [ internet] [ updated 2018 January 01; cited 2022 March 2022] Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15276-skin-to-skin-contact-for-you--baby
4. UNICEF UK. Skin-to-Skin Contact. [ Internet] [ Cited 2022 March 16] Available from https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly-resources/implementing-standards-resources/skin-to-skin-contact/
5. K. Aleisha Fetters and Tracy B. McGinnis. Kangaroo Care: The Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact.[ Internet] Parents; [ updated 2020 March 27; Cited 2022 March 16] Available from: https://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/kangaroo-care-the-importance-of-a-parents-touch/
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