Babies Given Skin-To-Skin Contact Show Benefits DECADES Later

Holding your baby in your arms when they are born is one of the most precious moments of your life. We all strive to maintain that strong bond from infancy to adulthood. And it all begins with a touch. The very primal gesture of holding your baby close skin to skin can send messages to the baby in its earliest moments letting them know they are safe and loved. By mum or Dad. It is also known as Kangaroo care because snuggling your baby close to you is similar to the mama Kangaroo's pouch. I was always told that skin-to-skin was important with my baby and despite having a slight delay (I had c-sections) I did it because it felt great. Now an amazing new study focusing on premature babies has found surprisingly long-term health implications for those who were given Kangaroo care in infancy. The study, which is expected to be published in full in Pediatrics in January, followed two groups of babies born premature, for 20 years. Lead author of the study is Nathalie Charpak:

"This study indicates that kangaroo mother care has significant, long-lasting social and behavioural protective effects 20 years after the intervention. The young ex-kangaroo mother care participants, especially in the poorest families, had less aggressive drive and were less impulsive and hyperactive. They exhibited less antisocial behaviour, which might be associated with separation from the mother at birth."

In addition, the skin-to-skin babies had bigger brains, they had less school absences, higher wages and their families were more nurturing. Dr Charpak attributes some of these factors to parents becoming more motivated and child-orientated when the baby was born. Deciding to take on advice such as skin-to-skin shows that parents took more seriously such benefits for their little one's wellbeing. Never underestimate the power of the human touch. Did you deliberately do skin-to-skin when your baby was born or is this something you plan to do? We would love to hear your comments!