Researchers looked at how skin-to-skin contact between premature babies and their parents affects stress levels
Skin-to-Skin Contact in Premature Babies: Building What We Know
Skin-to-skin contact is when a baby is placed directly on a parent's bare chest. It's known to be good for both babies and parents, but we're not sure exactly why.
What Did They Study?
The researchers looked at 19 studies from 1990 to 2020. These studies measured different substances in the body (called biomarkers) that can show stress levels.
Main Findings
- For Parents: In more than half of the studies, parents' stress levels (measured by a hormone called cortisol) went down after skin-to-skin contact.
- For Babies: The results were mixed. Some babies showed lower stress levels, while others didn't show clear changes.
- Oxytocin: This is often called the "love hormone." Both parents and babies showed decreased levels after skin-to-skin contact, which was unexpected.
- Other Biomarkers: One study found that a substance called allantoin was lower in babies who had skin-to-skin contact, which might be a good sign.
What Does This Mean?
While skin-to-skin contact seems beneficial, we still don't fully understand how it works. The researchers suggest that we need more studies, possibly looking at different biomarkers or even changes in genes, to better understand why skin-to-skin contact is helpful.
Why Does It Matter?
Understanding how skin-to-skin contact works could help hospitals and parents provide the best care for premature babies, potentially reducing stress and improving health outcomes for both babies and parents.
