Skin-to-Skin Contact: Why is it Important?

Written by Jana Angeles 

From the moment they are born, babies yearn for their first hand experience of the human touch. You will feel it as soon as you hold them in your arms. Skin-to-skin contact isn’t just about gaining numerous health benefits for you and your baby, it’s meant to reach a sense of stillness between the two of you – a beautiful memory you will uphold for the rest of your life and a feeling which cannot be compared with anything else.   

While there’s a sense of grace in holding a baby and exposing them to skin-to-skin contact, there are health benefits that come with it from the moment they are born. It’s important that babies are able to experience it firsthand, so in the end they gain all the health benefits, as well as a closer connection with their parents. We take the time to explore some of them and see how this could benefit your baby when it comes to their development: 

Contributes to a healthy lung and heart function 

Did you know skin-to-skin contact can boost the functioning of your baby’s lungs and heart? It’s important that mothers expose their babies to this since this will be a big transition for them from being out of the womb. For the first time, they will experience the inhalation of air; forming that skin-to-skin contact will help them regulate their breathing and heart rate. This is because they will become familiar with the patterns of your heart rate and breathing, helping them adapt much easily when being exposed to air during their first days of life. 

Helps regulate blood sugar 

Before babies are born, they get their glucose through the placenta and once they are out of the womb, they get it from their mothers. Babies will get low blood sugar if their levels of glucose exceed and this especially common for mothers who have gestational diabetes, as they have higher insulin levels in their blood. This could place them at risk of being hypoglycemic and if not treated, could lead to further health complications. Skin-to-skin contact can help regulate your baby’s blood sugar levels, avoiding this. 

They cry less 

Studies have shown that skin-to-skin contact can help babies cry less, especially when they are held by their mothers. During the hospital stay, mothers can attend to the needs of their baby much faster, giving them frequent exposure to skin-to-skin contact. Not only that, but babies will feel safe and protected when they are carried by their mothers; it’s natural for them since they form an instant bond with one another once they are held. It provides them the sense of calm and security they need, helping them cry less. 

Strengthens bond with mothers 

The main reason why skin-to-skin contact is encouraged is because it strengthens the bonds between the mother and baby as soon as they are born. Touch is essential for babies because this gives them the opportunity to explore their senses and helps establish the nurturing relationship they have with their mothers. Skin-to-skin contact also helps strengthen their health beyond their first days of life. It also helps continue the closeness between the mother and baby throughout infancy and beyond.  

Stabilises body temperature 

Babies can’t regulate their body temperatures on their own, so they need to depend on their parents to keep themselves warm. Since they are just getting used to the environment they are in, it’s not as easy for them to adapt to the weather changes. When they were inside the womb, their mothers were able to regulate their body temperature by shivering and moving around when it was cold and sweating when it was hot. Skin-to-skin contact benefits babies because it helps stabilises their temperature, helping them feel safe and secure when held by their parents. 

Overall, it’s important for babies to be able to experience skin-to-skin contact in the early stages of life. Not only does it have numerous health benefits, but it also assists in establishing a close relationship with their primary caregivers. Whether it’s regulating body temperature to bonding with both mother and father, skin-to-skin contact is encouraged to all new parents!