Skin to Skin Care with parents is safe for tiniest newborns

A world-first study assessing the safety of skin-to-skin care for very preterm babies on breathing support has proved the practice is safe and should be encouraged.
The study, conducted at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne and led by paediatrician Dr Laila Lorenz, focussed particularly on a newborn’s brain oxygen levels, and other vital signs such as heart rate and temperature, to determine whether babies were stable enough when removed from their incubator and placed on their parents’ chest.
Skin-to-skin care (SSC), also known as kangaroo care, involves a newborn, wearing just a nappy, being placed on their mother or father’s bare chest.