The Golden Hour or the skin to skin contact or the kangaroo care is the process of placing the newborn baby after giving birth immediately for an hour or two without minimum interruption on the mother's chest after being dried off and wrapped in a towel, to foster the sense of comfort and relationship between a mother and child.
“Skin-to-skin contact is very beneficial and critical for years down the road between both mom and baby. It’s super helpful to stabilize the newborn coming out of utero, as well as bonding between the mother and child,” said Tenelle Choal, a certified nurse-midwife at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.
The first time that this happened was revolutionary in South America in the 1970s. Two physicians in Bogotá, Colombia, did not have enough incubators to care for all the premature babies in their hospital. So, they placed the babies directly on their mothers’ chests with both mother and baby covered by a towel, allowing the mothers’ body heat to warm the babies.
NICU Babies And Kangaroo Care
Unfortunately not all mothers and babies are healthy or stable enough to provide skin to skin care after birth. There are some methods that can be used as alternatives for skin to skin contact.
● Pumping breastmilk to provide to the child helps promote bonding and nutrition.
● Providing cloth or clothing with the scent of the parent helps the infant experience the smells of the parent until skin-to-skin care can be accomplished.
● Parents can touch their infant with their hand or have the infant hold the parent’s finger, too.
This provides some bonding and touch between both individuals which can help alleviate some stress.
Skin to skin contact has both psychological and physiological benefits for both mother and baby:
1. Stress which is usually in higher amounts decreases in both baby and parents allowing both mother and baby to learn and experience about each other through touch, sight, smell and hearing.
2. Promoting bonding between the mother and child and breastfeeding.Stabilizing baby’s body temperature, heartbeat, breathing and blood oxygen levels.
3. Strengthening the baby’s digestion and immune systems through skin-to-skin contact.
4. Encouraging babies to spend more time in deep sleep.
5. Producing a stronger milk supply in breastfeeding moms due to skin-to-skin contact which fosters love and connection.
6. The major barriers of skin-to-skin contact are lack of time and safety concerns which makes kangaroo care unfortunately not effective agents.
Skin-to-skin contact is more than just a bonding moment—it plays a crucial role in a newborn’s physical and emotional development. From stabilizing heart rate and temperature to promoting breastfeeding and reducing stress, this simple yet powerful practice offers lifelong benefits for both the baby and the parents.
Encouraging skin-to-skin care immediately after birth and throughout the early months can strengthen the parent-child bond, enhance immunity, and support overall well-being. By recognizing its importance, caregivers and healthcare providers can help ensure that every newborn receives the warmth, security, and love they need for a healthy start in life.
Leave a Reply