Skin-to-skin contact with baby in neonatal unit decreases maternal stress levels

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/aaop-scw101615.php

Public Release: 23-Oct-2015
Skin-to-skin contact with baby in neonatal unit decreases maternal stress levels
Already linked to happier, healthier newborns, study finds that snuggling with babies in intensive care eases mothers' anxiety that can interfere with parent-child bonding
American Academy of Pediatrics

Research shows that stable parent-child bonds are fundamental to healthy child development. For parents of babies born prematurely or with special medical needs, this early bonding can be interrupted by the complex medical care required in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

An ongoing study conducted at a large metropolitan NICU, however, shows that a little skin-to-skin snuggling between mothers and babies can go a long way toward reducing maternal stress levels.

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