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Skin-to-skin contact might be doing more for your baby than many originally thought.
According to new research, published in “Neurology” on Sept. 24, skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, may positively influence brain development in premature babies born before 32 weeks.
While the research didn’t show direct causation, it did show a clear association between the two.
The study, authored by Dr. Katherine Travis of Burke Neurological Institute, included 88 premature babies with a mean gestational age of 29 weeks who remained in the hospital for two months on average.
Families visited about once per day on average, with 73% of skin-to-skin sessions provided by mother.
The average session lasted 70 minutes — though that number dropped to about 24 minutes on average per day throughout the duration of the baby’s hospital stay.
Researchers analyzed brain scans taken of each baby prior to being sent home and compared them based on the amount of skin-to-skin contact each baby received during their stay.
What the researchers found was certainly promising.
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According to the study, babies who received more skin-to-skin contact showed stronger brain growth in regions linked to emotional regulation, stress management and memory.
“Our findings add to growing evidence that white matter development is sensitive to a pre-term infant’s experience while in the hospital,” Travis said of the study.
“Skin-to-skin care not only provides preterm infants with family connections through bonding, it may also be encouraging new connections within the brain itself, improving a baby’s brain health,” she added.
What are the health benefits of skin-to-skin contact?
Skin-to-skin contact with the baby’s mother, known as kangaroo mother care, is important for all babies.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, kangaroo care involves resting a newborn (dressed in only a diaper) on the mother or father’s chest to initiate skin-to-skin contact.
This is usually initiated within the first hour postpartum — affectionately referred to as the “golden hour.”
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This not only benefits the baby by stabilizing their heart rate, calming them down, improving sleep and breathing patterns and regulating body temperature, but it can also act as a bonding experience.
But the new research published on Sept. 24 adds another layer of benefits for the baby.
And it has to do with something known as white matter in the brain.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, white matter is “the nerve fibers in your brain that connect different areas of your brain to each other and to your spinal cord like highways.”
The study found that babies who received more skin-to-skin care saw an improvement in white matter development — especially in the cingulum and anterior thalamic radiations in the brain.
The cingulum supports attention and emotion regulation, while the ATR connects areas involved in emotional processing and memory, per NBC Right Now.
These findings suggest that nurturing touch may help shape brain connections and support a premature baby’s brain development during this critical early period.
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So, don’t be afraid to initiate more skin-to-skin contact with your baby — at any stage of their early life.
