Skin to skin contact between a mother (or father) and a premature infant has shown time and time again to be therapeutic for the infant (and the parents).  This care, commonly referred to as kangaroo care, is used to help with the bonding between parents and an infant that is in the neonatal intensive care unit, the infant’s heart and respiratory rates, and to help with the infant’s own body temperature regulation.  Infants are not well equipped to regulate their own body temperature, premature infants are worse off and often times cannot regulate their own body temperature.  It has been found that kangaroo care helps aid the infant’s body in learning to regulate its own body temperature through the skin to skin contact with their parent.  One of the milestones a premature infant must meet before being released from the nicu is being able to regulate their own body temperature so kangaroo care is very important.  This skin to skin contact is a common practice in most (if not all) hospitals now, what a great way to aid in your baby’s development and eventual release.

Most of the focus of skin to skin contact has been conducted on premature infants since they have the most to gain from the practice.  However, a few years ago researchers with the American Academy of Pediatrics began to look into the benefits of kangaroo care on full term infants.  The research found that newborns who practice kangaroo care with their mother immediately following birth were better able to transition from the womb to the real world.  This transition from the nice, comfortable, warm womb to the loud, bright and cold real world is very traumatic for infants.  Kangaroo care is a great way for a mother to help her child with that transition and make it a little easier for them.

Skin to skin contact between parent and child is something you can continue even after you get home.  Babies spend a lot of time all wrapped up in clothing and blankets (which is good cause as I stated before they don’t regulate their own body temperature well), but it often results in a loss of that skin to skin contact.  Breastfeeding mothers have the advantage of getting a little skin to skin contact each time they nurse.  It is a great bonding tool, and very comforting to both parent and child so give it a try sometime if you haven’t already.