Today, the importance of touch has become firmly embedded in child care. In fact, feeling the power of touch begins long before the baby is born. Touch is the first sense to develop. Just eight weeks after conception, the fetus has already responded to the sensation of touch in the womb, and it is crucial for people of any age.
At 14 weeks, twins have been observed sucking their fingers and exploring their faces on an ultrasound. And frame-by-frame analyzes of ultrasound have shown that, at 20 weeks, fetuses respond when mothers touch their bellies.
In fact, touch was more beneficial when it came from a parent than from medical staff. UNICEF and WHO recommend parental contact in newborns, such as skin-to-skin contact. This involves placing the newborn on the parent’s bare chest, with both covered with a warm blanket, for at least an hour after birth or until after the first feeding.
At birth, the advantages of paternal contact are evident. “Kangaroo care,” or skin-to-skin contact, has been linked to better newborn health, including better breathing, heart rate, and temperature regulation.
Over time, regular skin-to-skin contact with babies improves brain development, promotes healthy weight gain and prolonged breastfeeding, and improves sleep patterns and pain tolerance.
In both healthy and premature babies, skin-to-skin contact also triggers the release of oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” which promotes bonding between parents and babies. It also ensures the reduction of cortisol, another hormone that helps newborns regulate stress levels.
In fact, an updated Cochrane review provides compelling evidence supporting skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth as standard practice.
Professor Peter Ebeigbe, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Delta State University in Abraka, stated: “When a child is born, we are now surprised by how well it knows the mother. In natural environments, where babies are left, the baby finds its way to the breasts. It also provides warmth to the child.”
According to him, unless the mother and baby are sick, we want the mother to sleep with the child because of the many benefits it brings to both the baby and the mother.
“Any woman who has given birth wants to have the child as soon as possible, unless she is not given a choice. She has gone through nine months of pregnancy. She has gone through many hours of labor pains, and after giving birth, she will want to see the child she gave birth to and bond with him,” he added.
Cochrane reviewers analyzed 69 trials involving more than 7,000 mother-child pairs. This includes 26 new studies that have been carried out since the last major update in 2016.
The findings reveal clear and measurable benefits for newborns who experience skin-to-skin contact within the first hour after birth. The practice improves the health and survival of the newborn.
A key finding of this review is that about 75% of babies who received early skin-to-skin contact were exclusively breastfeeding at one month, compared to only 55% of babies who did not receive this intervention.
This difference extended throughout the first six months of life, with mothers who had immediate skin-to-skin contact being significantly more likely to breastfeed exclusively during this critical period.
The close contact of the newborn with the mother’s skin promotes early latch success and prolonged feeding habits, which maximizes nutritional intake and strengthens the immune protection provided by breast milk.
In the past, conventional maternity care protocols sometimes required immediate postnatal separation of mother and child for normal newborn assessments, weighing, and hygiene procedures, practices that have now been shown to inadvertently disrupt critical early contact.
The review advocated a paradigm shift towards uninterrupted initiation of skin-to-skin contact, underlining its feasibility and urgent need in modern healthcare settings.
In particular, research has shown that mothers’ experiences of postpartum anxiety, sadness, and stress can be reduced through regular skin-to-skin contact with their babies. Additionally, although most research has focused on mothers, skin-to-skin contact appears to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms in fathers as well.
Although most of this research has focused on the immediate effects of contact, researchers are also tracking babies over time to determine the long-term effects of early contact. According to one study, premature newborns who received at least one hour of kangaroo care for two weeks had improved brain development, mother-child interactions, and sleep by the time they were ten years old.
Another group of researchers followed the babies and their mothers over a nine-year period. When they were just one month old, babies who had experienced skin-to-skin contact with their mothers already showed better emotional adjustment and attachment than babies who did not have skin-to-skin contact.
Nine years later, these children were also more willing and able to engage in emotional conversations with their mothers.
While this study shows the benefits of touch throughout development, what about the first years of life? Studies on young children and adolescents have shown that touch, particularly gentle touch, such as hugs from parents or other caregivers such as teachers, promotes psychological growth and well-being. For example, touch can foster emotional security, a sense of belonging, and a sense of support in children, especially during difficult times.
Premature babies also benefit from these advantages. According to a Lancet study, by 2025, up to 50% of premature baby deaths could be avoided if normal care for small or sick babies included prolonged kangaroo mother care (more than eight hours a day). Additionally, it improved breastfeeding rates and weight gain, while reducing the risk of infection and low body temperature.