New Study: 20 min a day EXTRA skin-to-skin for very preterm babies associated with 10 point increase in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months

Skin-to-skin contact has many benefits:

• calming and relaxing the baby
• regulating heart rate, breathing and temperature
• enhancing bonding
• release of oxytocin and reducing stress
• beneficial for the baby’s skin microbiome
• positive impact on brain development
• perfect for establishing breastfeeding

Now a new study finds the benefits of skin-to-skin for the neurodevelopment of very preterm babies (born before 32 weeks’ gestation).

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The New Study:

In the study of 181 babies born before 32 weeks’ gestation…

> The average time families had immediate skin-to-skin was…

> Just 17 minutes a day

> The average was: 2 days/week, 70 minutes/session.

But, if babies had 20-minute extra skin-to-skin per day…