After birth, the newborn is usually placed immediately on his mother’s chest. This skin with skin has multiple benefits for the baby. Zoom on this practiced Dr. Rousseau, pediatrician.
(Update of March 25, 2022). Having your baby against you during the first minutes of your life has many benefits for the newbornbut also for parents. This practice, which we call skinalso has a very important role in prematurers. Made for many years, it has been increasingly adopted in maternities.
What is skin to skin?
Ideally, Skin to skin Immediately starts the child’s birth. It consists of “Place the naked child on his mother’s naked chest“, Specifies the World Health Organization (WHO). The IHAB label (Initiative Hospital Friend of Babies) Recommend to make skin to skin immediate, continuously (no care unless they are vital), at least for an hour, to allow the newborn to arrive at Colostrum feeding, which brings it immune protection. “”This behavior is the same in all babies, whether or not the mother chooses to breastfeed“, says Dr. Sylvaine Rousseau, pediatrician in the neonatology department of the Roubaix hospital center labeled Ihab. When the mother has a multiple pregnancy, the skin with skin is offered to him if the first child born adapts well. It is she who chooses then to keep her baby on her stomach. The father can also keep her child if the mother cannot. Cesarean, if the health of the mother and the newborn allows it.
What are the benefits of skin to skin for the baby?
Made at birth, Skin skin has many benefits for the babyaccording to several studies. “”It allows the newborn to have no break in continuity with his mother, which brings him better adaptation to extra-uterine life. His breathing and tone are improved. This first meeting with his mother allows him to keep his sensory bearings such as touch, smell, heartbeat …“Explains Dr. Rousseau.
What benefits of skin to skin for mom
In the mother, hormonal and tactile stimulation induced by Skin skin facilitates lactation start -up. This contact also causes secretion of relaxing hormones. Indeed, “Studies show that stress hormone, cortisol, collapses in particular in mothers who have a cesarean. They are thus less stressed when they have their baby in skin to skin until the end of the intervention“.
Skin to skin: What about dad?
If Skin to skin with the father has benefits as to the attachment he has with his child, he obviously does not have the same effects for the baby and the mother. The pediatrician estimates as well as “Skin to skin should not be systematically offered to dad. It must be when the mother has difficulty and she cannot practice skin to skin“.
What are the benefits of skin to skin for premature babies?
Neonatology skin is different from that practiced at birth. “”It is one of the great pillars of care in neonatology units. Parents are offered as soon as possible, whatever the situation, and as long as possible. In this case, the dad is a very important relay for the prematuresays Dr. Rousseau. The profits are scientifically proven and are very important for babies born before the end. This allows them to maintain their body temperature, to access the breast … It also appears that skin to skin improves their digestion and their sleep time, decreases the risk of nosocomial infections … This also reassures the baby in the incubator and parents as to their skills since they participate in the improvement of the state of their child.“”
Today, mothers are quickly leaving maternity. So should you continue to make skin to the house? “”It is possible to do it in the days following the release of maternity. This can be particularly useful for the baby for whom the separation from the mother is difficult. The skin with skin will soothe it.“However, it is essential to make it in good safety conditions. It is better to use a skin to skin skin so that the baby is well positioned. The baby must be placed on the chest, head turned on the side and well-cleared respiratory tract. The mother or the dad must remain in a half-assistance positon, and not lying, in order to avoid the risks of sleep.
Tops or t-shirts to facilitate skin to skin
Ultra-practical and comfortable, top-to-skin tops or skin t-shirts easily slip into the wardrobe of mothers (or dads) that bet on both functional and aesthetic basics. Composed of cotton and a very comfortable elastane mixture, The top skin to skin D’Aden + Anais allows you to place your baby on the naked chest. It has an integrated support which allows you to support it well, especially at the level of the neck. Composed of GOTS certified organic jersey (global organic standard textiles), the NL & Sens t-shirt is very practical to wear and has an ideal opening on the front to accommodate baby. Another advantage, it can also be worn by dad!
