We’re all too accustomed to seeing babies wrapped in the arms of their loving mothers (while dad watches with a blissful expression on his face), so when a photo of a father and his son holding the new babies (twins!) in the family circulates around the internet, everyone understandably goes ‘awwww’. In fact, while mothers are often given a lot of credit where child rearing goes, the presence of fathers in their children’s lives is crucial for the child’s wholesome development.

Fathers too need to hold their babies, and preferably against his naked chest. If the father frequently talks to the baby or mother, the baby can recognise their fathers’ voice. Being in skin-to-skin contact with their father calms the baby down and helps father and child bond.

Popularly termed as Kangaroo care, after the way baby kangaroos share skin contact with their mother until the day they mature, skin-to-skin contact between the parent and newborn is a popular way to help premature babies adapt, and it requires the parents to hold the baby for as long as possible throughout the day, with no clothing as a barrier. Not only will this promote bonding, but it also has a variety of health benefits.

In premature babies, the parent’s body warmth is more effective in regulating the baby’s body than an incubator. It also promotes better breathing and quicker weight gain. Coming into contact with the parents’ bacteria, instead of the other bacteria in the incubating room, also reduces the risk of serious infection.

A Canadian study also revealed that premature babies who underwent Kangaroo care as a treatment had better brain functioning at 15 years old, compared to those who had been placed in incubators. This was due to the baby having a more stabilized heart rate, better oxygenation and improved sleep.

For breastfeeding mothers, the mutual benefits are even more pronounced. Newborns have a heightened sense of smell. When the baby is placed skin-to-skin with Mummy, he or she will have an easier time seeking out the nipple to initiate the breastfeeding process. Milk production is also stimulated to produce more milk when the mother and baby are in contact. While one would obviously not be able go topless in public to breastfeed, perhaps it feels so much more comfortable for both mum and baby to do so at home, not to mention, safer (baby will not be suffocated by the clothes or attempt to damage it), that a study published in Neonatal Network revealed that mothers who practiced kangaroo care were more likely to breastfeed for a longer time, and exclusively instead of resorting to formula milk.

According to The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, skin-to-skin contact could also minimise the risk of depression and maternal anxiety, which in turn reduces the probability of getting post-natal blues.

In administering kangaroo care, more is better. The first two hours after birth is the most crucial as the baby has just arrived and your comfort and cuddles can be a great help to ease him/her into the new environment. Frequent kangaroo care should be given in the first twenty weeks or so. The more the better, but of course, do it only when both baby and parents enjoy it. If the baby starts showing signs of restlessness and wants to get off your chest, then it is obviously a signal for you to stop.



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