Kangaroo baby care

(Skin to skin contact)

Andreea
Andreea
Sep 2, 2018 · 2 min read

Do you have that kind of moments, after breastfeeding, when you keep your naked baby close to you, and you have a sort of skin to skin contact?

If the answer is Yes, keep doing that. If the answer is No, I will give you some reasons why to do that.

Even if it sounds just like a great experience, it is more than that. It can be useful for your little one in several ways. Reasearch sustains that if you hold your naked baby (except for the diaper) on your chest and you cover his/her back with a cloth/blanket it will helpful for thermal control, breastfeeding and clinical conditions.

This practice known as “kangaroo baby care” or “skin-to-skin contact”, was first promoted by Rey and Martinez in Colombia as a technique for premature infants to encourage lactation, prevent aspiration, and reduce rejection. Since then, a big number of studies have been conducted to find the implications of this practice and they concluded that it is as safe as traditional care for premature babies. Recent studies highlight the importance of skin-to-skin care during the first hour or two after birth and in the next days in heart and lung function, stabilization of body temperature, initiation of breastfeeding and a reduction in crying.

Even if your baby is a premature infant or not, this type of care is a good way to boost health beyond the newborn’s first days and throughout infancy. And for sure, is a great way to create a bond between you and your baby.

This kind of practice is useful if is made not only by mothers, but by dads too, so enjoy your time with your infant.

Resources:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/85/4/604

https://goo.gl/oHbYnQ

https://goo.gl/QY6rkn

https://babygooroo.com/articles/10-benefits-of-skin-to-skin-contact

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