Premature babies need physical contact with their parents to become more socially developed, a new study claims.
The research reveals that special skin-to-skin contact between parents and very premature babies improves the child's social skills during the crucial first hours of life.
Let's find out more about how it works.
Contact Is Vital
Traditionally, premature kids are placed in incubators for warmth and stabilization after birth, but the "Immediate parent-infant skin-to-skin study" challenged this by allowing 90 premature babies born at 28 to 33 weeks to experience immediate skin-to-skin contact with a parent.
The experiment found that this contact is safe, beneficial for cardiorespiratory stabilization and temperature regulation, and valued by parents.
Notably, the study allowed fathers, rather than just mothers, to have skin-to-skin contact, emphasizing their crucial role.
At 4 months, kids with early skin-to-skin contact exhibited better communication and social skills, as assessed by psychologists using the special Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment scale.
Why It's Important
The researchers advocate for the integration of immediate skin-to-skin contact into neonatal care, highlighting its positive impact on social development.
Ongoing research will further monitor infant development at 1-2 years.
Previously, we talked about the causes of anger.
