Why are Kangaroo Care and Skin-to-Skin Contact Important?
A practice gaining in popularity, since it has been shown to be beneficial to babies, is called “kangaroo care.” When your baby is strong enough to come out of the isolette, hold him skin-to-skin on your chest. Skin-to-skin means that your baby will be nestled upright between your breasts. He will be clad in only his diaper directly against your skin. Your blouse and possibly a blanket would go around the two of you. Your warmth, smell, and familiar heartbeat will feel like a warm “womb with a view” to your baby. He will be soothed and calmed which will aid in his development. He may start to root for your breast and try to nurse for the first time. Fathers can hold their babies this way too and feel connected. Research shows that when a baby is held skin-to-skin as described above, he is assisted in maintaining his body temperature. The temperature of the skin on your chest will rise to heat your baby until he is warm, then it will lower again so that your baby stays at the right temp
