Skin to skin care: More than meets the eye

Skin-to-skin care, often referred to as kangaroo care, was developed decades ago in South America as a supplement to the care of the preterm infant —primarily to provide warmth and facilitate earlier release from the hospital. Since then, skin-to-skin care has been associated with improved breastfeeding, reduced maternal stress, and improved maternal attachment and post-discharge confidence in the care of her preterm infant. In a previous vol ume of The Journal, Sehgal et al provide additional rationale indicating that skin-to-skin care directly improves physiologic stability of the preterm infant.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: The Editors' Perspectives Source Type: research