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

Skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, offers several significant benefits immediately after birth. One of the primary advantages is that it promotes bonding between the mother and her newborn. This intimate contact fosters emotional connections and enhances maternal sensitivity to the baby's needs.

Furthermore, skin-to-skin contact plays a crucial role in breastfeeding success. It encourages the baby's natural instinct to latch on and feed, which can help establish breastfeeding by promoting effective suckling and stimulating the mother's milk production. The proximity also reassures the newborn, reducing stress and facilitating an easier transition from the womb to the external environment.

Additionally, skin-to-skin contact helps stabilize the baby's temperature. Newborns are at risk for hypothermia, and direct contact with the mother's warm body helps maintain thermal regulation, which is crucial for the infant's overall well-being.

Other options, while related to infant health and development, do not accurately capture the primary benefits linked to skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth. For instance, reducing the need for vaccinations or decreasing the risk of genetic disorders are not direct effects of this practice, and while cognitive development is important, it is not an immediate benefit observed from post-birth skin-to-skin contact. Overall, the advantages of