Skin-to-Skin Care

Skin-to-skin, or ‘kangaroo’ care, involves holding your baby against your bare chest to provide extra warmth and promote bonding. (It has long been known that small babies can’t maintain their temperature well.) This method benefits both baby and the parents as skin-to-skin care benefits and can be practiced by both mothers and fathers. Being close to you will help your newborn feel safe, secure, and adjusted to the environment. If you have chosen to breastfeed, it is important for you and your baby to get started as soon as possible after birth. Being skin-to-skin with you gives the baby the best chance to make that happen.

Skin-to-skin care has an interesting history. Peter de Chateau in Sweden first described studies of "early contact" with mother and baby at birth in 1976, although the articles do not describe specifically that this was skin-to-skin contact. Klaus and Kennell did very similar work in the USA, more well known in the context of early maternal-infant bonding.

Skin-to-skin care was popularized by Dr. Edgar Rey Sanabria, a Colombian neonatologist. Dr. Sanabria practiced newborn medicine in settings where equipment to keep babies warm was not available. It was also known that an unregulated low body temperature is associated with a higher risk of death for infants. In 1981, Drs. Rey Sanabria and Martinez published their findings of improved outcomes with ‘Kangaroo Mother Care.’ As additional benefits to mothers and babies were identified, the approach was adopted internationally in both under-resourced and more technologically-advanced settings. The first reported use of the term "skin-to-skin contact" is by Thomson in 1979, and quotes the work of de Chateau in its rationale.