Benefits of skin-to-skin contact with your newborn (2024)

Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) means placing your naked baby on your bare chest at birth and remaining skin-to-skin for at least an hour, or until after your baby feeds. Some call this the "Golden Hour." Typically your baby will have a warm blanket across their back so they stay nice and toasty.

SSC is also called "kangaroo care," because it mimics what kangaroo mothers do: hold their newborns in a pouch attached to their bodies for safety, warmth, and easy feeding. (Kangaroo care is sometimes used synonymously with skin-to-skin contact, and it's sometimes used to mean skin-to-skin plus exclusive breastfeeding.)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of PediatricsOpens a new window (AAP), and the World Health OrganizationOpens a new window (WHO) all recommend SSC immediately after birth, whether or not you plan to breastfeed your baby.

It's ideal if SSC happens even before the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and before your baby is cleaned, checked, and weighed. The first hour after birth is an especially sensitive period, during which you'll experience a surge of maternal hormones and your baby may instinctively find their way to your breast and start nursing.

Sometimes experts talk about immediate SSC, which means it happens within 10 minutes of birth. And sometimes they talk about early SSC, which means it's within 24 hours of the baby's birth. Of course, you can have skin-to-skin contact any time after that, too. Your baby may be comforted by SSC for weeks and months to come.

"SSC shouldn't be limited to only the first hour or day, but used in the days and weeks to come," says Layan Alrahmani, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine specialist and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. "It's important to remember that the positive effect is cumulative."

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

Skin-to-skin contact can make your baby's early moments in the world smoother and less traumatic. It has health benefits – both physical and emotional – for you and your baby.

Skin-to-skin benefits for newborns:

Comfort

SSC calms and relaxes infants after the stress of birth. Researchers have found that newborns who have more skin-to-skin contact cry less than those who don't. Infants who experience SSC sleep better, too, spending more time in deep sleep.

Stable temperature, heart rate, and other health markers

Newborns can't regulate their body temperature well (such as by shivering to keep warm). Your body heat keeps your baby warm and cozy.

Researchers have found that newborn babies who have more skin-to-skin contact have more stable heart rates, breathing, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. These are tangible ways SSC helps your baby adapt to life outside the womb.

Easier breastfeeding

Newborns who are placed on their mother's chest immediately after birth often begin nudging themselves toward the breast to begin nursing. Some studies have shown that babies who get plenty of skin-to-skin contact latch on easier and nurse for longer.

A studyOpens a new window of more than 1,000 mothers in 150 hospitals found that 90 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, where a baby is laid directly on their mother's bare chest after birth, maximizes the chance for babies to be physically ready to breastfeed.

The study also concluded that there's a strong relationship between SSC and breastfeeding within one hour of birth. Babies who didn't have SSC had an early breastfeeding rate of about 68%, while those who had skin-to-skin contact had a rate of about 93%.

The positive effect on breastfeeding seems to be long-lasting. A Cochrane reviewOpens a new window of 38 studies with more than 3,400 women found that moms who had SSC with their babies:

• Were more likely to still be breastfeeding at one to four months postpartum
• Breastfed their infants an average of 60 days longer

And, babies who had SSC were more likely to have breastfed successfully during their first breastfeeding session.

Protection against infection

If SSC happens before your baby's even cleaned off, there's evidence that they'll be less prone to infection. That's because they have more time in contact with the beneficial bacteria you transmit to them during a vaginal birth.

Skin-to-skin benefits for moms:

Reduced risk of postpartum stress and depression

When it happens right after delivery, skin-to-skin contact causes your brain to release a hormone (beta-endorphin) that helps you feel calmer and more relaxed. SSC also causes your brain to release more oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that promote both bonding and breastfeeding.

In a studyOpens a new window of more than 1,800 women evaluated during pregnancy and two months postpartum, researchers found skin-to-skin contact was related to reduced feelings of fear and guilt surrounding the birth. This was especially true for moms who had a C-section.

In another studyOpens a new window, moms who had skin-to-skin contact during their C-section reported improved bonding and less postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression.

In mothers of low-birth-weight babies, those who practiced skin-to-skin contact after delivery had a 25% reduction in the risk of moderate to severe depression at four weeks postpartum, according to a studyOpens a new window.

Increased responsiveness

SSC can help moms become comfortable holding their baby from the get-go, and it seems to also help moms respond to their baby's cues. A studyOpens a new window of mother/baby interactions at 4 days postpartum found that mothers who didn't have SSC at birth were less responsive to their baby's cries.

Many of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact for full-term babies are especially helpful for preemies.

A WHO studyOpens a new window looked at more than 3,000 preterm or low-weight infants and their mothers and concluded that those who received immediate kangaroo care had lower mortality rates at 28 days than those who received conventional care.

"Kangaroo mother care, defined as both continuous skin-to-skin contact of the infant with the chest of the mother (or another caregiver when not possible with the mother) and feeding exclusively with breast milk, is among the most effective interventions for preventing death in infants with low birth weight," the study concluded.

SSC has been shown to benefit premature babies by:

• Improving neurological development
• Promoting better and faster growth
• Decreasing pain from blood draws and other necessary medical procedures
• Helping to regulate body temperature and stabilize heart and breathing patterns
• Promoting more restful sleeping patterns
• Helping parents become more comfortable handling their preterm infant

As a result, many preemies who have SSC have a shorter stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Your preemie can have SSC as soon as they're stable enough to make it safe. Some tubes or lines (monitors, for example) may need to be adjusted so your baby can be moved, or you may need to wait until your baby can safely have some of the lines removed.

What if I can't have skin-to-skin contact with my baby right after birth?

Sometimes skin-to-skin contact isn't possible immediately after birth. If your baby has a health issue, seeing to their immediate medical needs is more important. If that's the case, don't worry – that closeness and contact can and will happen later. Your baby will benefit from SSC at any point.

If you have a C-section, you may not be able to have your newborn placed on your chest while you're on the operating table. However, many hospitals now routinely give moms the option of immediate skin-to-skin contact during a C-section.

If you had a difficult delivery and can't do SSC right away, that's fine. You may want to ask your partner or another loved one to start skin-to-skin contact instead.

Should dads do skin-to-skin?

Yes, skin-to-skin with Dad or another partner can provide your baby with many of the same benefits as SSC with Mom. That includes helping the baby feel safe and regulating their heartbeat and temperature. In fact, it might be especially helpful for the other parent to do skin-to-skin if Mom is receiving medical care right after the birth.

A studyOpens a new window of about 100 newborns born via C-section concluded that the newborns who received SSC from their fathers shortly after delivery had a more stable heart rate and temperature, cried less, and started feeding earlier than those who received routine care.

There are significant benefits for dads, too. The fathers in the above study had less anxiety and depression and "better role attainment" (as fathers) than those in the routine care group.

In another studyOpens a new window, fathers who felt overwhelmed and anxious when entering the NICU felt calm, relaxed, and happy once they did kangaroo care with their babies. They became more confident engaging with their babies, whom they initially described as fragile.

"Any parent can do skin to skin," says Dr. Alrahmani. "It's a great opportunity for bonding with the baby, and I recommend doing it whenever feasible."

Skin-to-skin contact isn't just for newborns. Holding your baby against your skin whenever you can during the first few months after birth helps you develop a close bond and makes breastfeeding easier. Your baby will be soothed by the warmth of your body, the feel of your heartbeat, and the sound and vibrations of your voice.

There are many opportunities to practice skin-to-skin in the course of a day. Try it during feedings (whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding), when you're getting your baby dressed or changing their diaper, or after their bath, for example. (Even just a few minutes is beneficial.)

There's no recommendation for when to stop skin-to-skin with your baby. You can continue to do SSC for as long as you and your baby enjoy it or feel comforted by it. Once your baby is a few months old, they may become squirmy and resist SSC. That's your cue to find other ways to stay close, such as snuggling throughout the day and at feedings or cuddling up with a board book.

Tips for doing skin-to-skin with your baby

Skin-to-skin contact comes pretty naturally to most parents, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

• When your baby is on your belly or chest, make sure their nose and mouth aren't covered by a blanket or your body (your breast, for example).
• Don't fall asleep while doing skin to skin in bed or on a comfy couch or armchair (this raises the risk of SIDS and suffocation).
• Don't smoke or vape. Secondhand smoke and nicotine are dangerous for your baby.
• Don't wear scented lotions or perfumes, which can irritate your baby's sensitive skin.

Learn more:

• How to take care of a newborn
• How to play with your newborn
• Newborn reflexes