Isabel Izquierdo
Head of the Neonatology Department at La Fe Hospital and vice-president of the Spanish Society of Neonatology (SENEO)
Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth has been scientifically proven to have benefits for both mother and newborn, both at term and in preterm and low birth weight infants. Successful breastfeeding has been associated with skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborn for both latch-on and duration of breastfeeding, and also helps to regulate the baby's body temperature and prevent hypothermia.
Immediate skin-to-skin contact naturally reduces the stress experienced during birth for both mother and baby, and stabilises the biological parameters of the transition from adaptation to extrauterine life and oxygen saturation in the baby. The positive impact on the cognitive-perceptual and neurodevelopmental aspects of the baby has also been described.
For the mother, it has an analgesic effect, reduces anxiety, favours uterine involution and strengthens the emotional bond, cushioning the factors favouring postpartum depression.
When immediate skin-to-skin contact with the mother is not possible, it is recommended that it be done with the father, as it also increases bonding and competence in his care.
In all countries there is growing awareness of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact, so that it is already included in the protocols for action at the time of delivery and has become standard clinical practice for newborns admitted to neonatal units.
On the other hand, it is recommended that immediate skin-to-skin contact be monitored, given that it is performed at a time of great vulnerability of the newborn, such as the adaptation of the newborn to extrauterine life.
Immediate skin-to-skin contact cannot always replace technology, as there are situations of severity of the newborn in which it cannot be performed, and in these cases it is necessary to transfer the newborn to an incubator for stabilisation and health care.