Skin-to-skin

Skin-to-skin contact involves holding a baby, wearing only a nappy, directly against a caregiver's bare chest, usually covered with a warm blanket. UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative describes it as when "a baby is dried and laid directly on the mother's bare chest after birth, both of them covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour or until after the first feed." The NHS describes it as "holding your baby naked or dressed only in a nappy against your skin, usually under your top or under a blanket."

What are the benefits of skin-to-skin contact?

UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative lists the following benefits: skin-to-skin "calms and relaxes both mother and baby," "regulates the baby's heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb," "stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding," "regulates temperature," and enables colonisation of the baby's skin with the mother's bacteria, providing protection against infection. The NHS also notes that skin-to-skin triggers the release of oxytocin, supporting bonding.

When should skin-to-skin contact begin?

UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative recommends immediate skin-to-skin after birth and advises that contact should continue "at least until after the first feed and for as long as they wish." La Leche League GB encourages parents to avoid interruptions during this period: "Weighing and washing need to wait — this is much more important." The NHS advises continuing skin-to-skin at home, "especially in the first few days and weeks (and months if you are happy to continue)."

What is kangaroo care?

Kangaroo care — also known as kangaroo mother care (KMC) — is the term used, particularly in neonatal care settings, for skin-to-skin contact with preterm or low-birth-weight babies. UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative notes that in neonatal units, skin-to-skin is "often known as 'kangaroo care.'" La Leche League GB describes KMC as originating in the 1970s to improve survival of premature babies, involving "early, prolonged and continuous direct skin-to-skin contact with her mother or another family member to provide stable warmth and to encourage frequent and exclusive breastfeeding."