Key Takeaways
Skin-to-skin contact might boost brain development in preemies
Preemies with more skin-to-skin contact had stronger development in brain regions linked to emotion and stress regulation
The contact might aid bonding as well as encouraging new connections within the brain
kAm%w&#$sp*[ $6AE] ad[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — $<:?\E@\D<:? 4@?E24E >:89E 96=A <:4<\DE2CE 3C2:? 56G6=@A>6?E :? AC6E6C> 323:6D[ 2 ?6H DEF5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm!C66>:6D 3@C? 367@C6 ba H66<D D9@H65 DEC@?86C 56G6=@A>6?E :? 3C2:? C68:@?D E:65 E@ 6>@E:@? 2?5 DEC6DD C68F=2E:@? :7 E96J C646:G65 >@C6 D<:?\E@\D<:? 4@?E24E[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 $6AE] ac :? E96 ;@FC?2= k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?]?6FC@=@8J]@C8^=@@<FA^5@:^`_]`a`a^(}{]__________a`caaeQm}6FC@=@8Jk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“$<:?\E@\D<:? 4@?E24E :? AC6E6C> :?72?ED 92D 366? D9@H? E@ 92G6 >2?J 36?67:ED[ H:E9 AC6G:@FD DEF5:6D =:?<:?8 :E E@ :>AC@G65 3@?5:?8[ D=66A[ 962CE 2?5 =F?8 7F?4E:@? 2?5 8C@HE9[ 2D H6== 2D C65F465 A2:? 2?5 DEC6DD[” D2:5 =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3FC<6]H6:==]4@C?6==]65F^A6@A=6^<2E96C:?6\EC2G:DQmz2E96C:?6 %C2G:Dk^2m[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 {23@C2E@CJ 7@C {2?8F286 s6G6=@A>6?E 2?5 #64@G6CJ 2E qFC<6 }6FC@=@8:42= x?DE:EFE6 :? (9:E6 !=2:?D[ }]*]k^Am
kAm“~FC 7:?5:?8D :? :?72?ED 3@C? G6CJ AC6E6C> DF886DE D<:?\E@\D<:? 42C6 >2J 2=D@ A=2J 2 C@=6 :? D92A:?8 62C=J 3C2:? 56G6=@A>6?E[ 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= :>A@CE2?46 @7 42C68:G:?8 6IA6C:6?46D 5FC:?8 E96 62C=:6DE H66<D @7 2 AC66>:6’D =:76[” D96 D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 DEF5J[ C6D62C496CD DEF5:65 E96 56G6=@A>6?E @7 gg AC6E6C> 323:6D H:E9 2? 2G6C286 86DE2E:@?2= 286 @7 ah H66<D] %96 AC66>:6D H6:8965 2? 2G6C286 @7 ;FDE F?56C a]f A@F?5D 2?5 925 2? 2G6C286 9@DA:E2= DE2J @7 EH@ >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> EC24<65 D<:?\E@\D<:? 4@?E24E H:E9 72>:=J >6>36CD E9C@F89@FE 6249 AC66>:6’D 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 9@H =@?8 6249 D6DD:@? =2DE65 2?5 E@E2= >:?FE6D A6C 52J]k^Am
kAm%9:D D@CE @7 42C6 :D C676CC65 E@ 2D “<2?82C@@ 42C6[” ?2>65 7@C E96 H2J >2CDFA:2=D =:<6 <2?82C@@D 42CCJ E96:C J@F?8 :? AC@E64E:G6 A@F496D] x? 9F>2?D[ <2?82C@@ 42C6 :?G@=G6D 2 5:2A6C65 :?72?E 96=5 E@ 2 42C68:G6C’D 32C6 496DE[ C6D62C496CD D2:5 :? 324<8C@F?5 ?@E6D]k^Am
kAmu2>:=:6D G:D:E65 @?46 2 52J @? 2G6C286[ C6D62C496CD D2:5] (96? E96J AC@G:565 D<:?\E@\D<:? 42C6[ E96 D6DD:@?D =2DE65 f_ >:?FE6D @? 2G6C286 H:E9 >@>D AC@G:5:?8 fbT @7 E96 42C6]k^Am
kAm%96 @G6C2== 2G6C286 2>@F?E @7 D<:?\E@\D<:? 42C6 A6C 52J H2D ac >:?FE6D 7@C E96 323:6D’ 6?E:C6 9@DA:E2= DE2J[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmt249 @7 E96 AC66>:6D C646:G65 2 3C2:? D42? 367@C6 8@:?8 9@>6 7C@> E96 9@DA:E2=[ 2C@F?5 E96 ?@C>2= 7F==\E6C> 286 @7 23@FE c_ H66<D] %96 D42? 7@4FD65 @? E96 3C2:?’D H9:E6 >2EE6C[ H9:49 D6CG6D 2D :ED 4@>>F?:42E:@? ?6EH@C< 36EH66? DA64:7:4 C68:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 D42?D D9@H65 E92E =@?86C D<:?\E@\D<:? D6DD:@?D H6C6 =:?<65 E@ 9:896C 24E:G:EJ :? EH@ <6J 3C2:? C68:@?D — E96 4:?8F=F>[ H9:49 DFAA@CED 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 6>@E:@? C68F=2E:@?[ 2?5 E96 2?E6C:@C E92=2>:4 C25:2E:@?D[ H9:49 4@??64E 2C62D :?G@=G65 :? 6>@E:@?2= AC@46DD:?8 2?5 >6>@CJ]k^Am
kAm%9:D =:?< C6>2:?65 D:8?:7:42?E 6G6? 27E6C C6D62C496CD 244@F?E65 7@C @E96C 724E@CD E92E 42? :?7=F6?46 3C2:? 56G6=@A>6?E[ DF49 2D 86DE2E:@?2= 286 2E 3:CE9[ 286 2E E:>6 @7 3C2:? D42?[ D@4:@64@?@>:4 DE2EFD 2?5 9@H 7C6BF6?E=J 72>:=J G:D:E65]k^Am
kAm“$<:?\E@\D<:? 42C6 ?@E @?=J AC@G:56D AC6E6C> :?72?ED H:E9 72>:=J 4@??64E:@?D E9C@F89 3@?5:?8[ :E >2J 2=D@ 36 6?4@FC28:?8 ?6H 4@??64E:@?D H:E9:? E96 3C2:? :ED6=7[ :>AC@G:?8 2 323J’D 3C2:? 962=E9 @G6C2==[” %C2G:D D2:5]k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ >2?J ?6@?2E2= :?E6?D:G6 42C6 F?:ED 2C6?’E 56D:8?65 E@ DFAA@CE D<:?\E@\D<:? 4@?E24E[ D2:5 E96 HC:E6CD @7 2? 65:E@C:2= E92E 244@>A2?:65 E96 DEF5J :? k6>m}6FC@=@8Jk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“x? >2?J }xr&D[ A9JD:42= DA246[ DE277:?8 >@56=D[ 4@>A6E:?8 42C6 56>2?5D[ =:>:E65 C6D@FC46D 7@C 72>:=:6D E@ 36 AC6D6?E 7@C 6IE6?565 A6C:@5D[ 2?5 492==6?86D H:E9 >@5:7J:?8 6DE23=:D965 42C6 C@FE:?6D DE:== 4C62E6 32CC:6CD[” D2:5 E96 65:E@C:2= 4@\HC:EE6? 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]65F]FH@]42^23@FE^724F=EJ\AC@7:=6D^6>>2\5F6C56?^:?56I]9E>=Qmt>>2 sF6C56?k^2m[ 2? 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C @7 49:=5 ADJ49@=@8J 2E (6DE6C? &?:G6CD:EJ :? ~?E2C:@[ r2?252]k^Am
kAm#6D62C496CD ?@E65 E92E 5F6 E@ E96 DEF5J’D D:K6 2?5 @3D6CG2E:@?2= ?2EFC6[ :E 4@F=5 ?@E 5C2H 2 5:C64E 42FD6\2?5\67764E =:?< 36EH66? D<:? 4@?E24E 2?5 3C2:? 56G6=@A>6?E[ 3FE @?=J D9@H 2? 2DD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96J D2:5 7FEFC6 C6D62C49 D9@F=5 7FCE96C 6IA=@C6 9@H 62C=J 42C68:G:?8 6IA6C:6?46D 42? D92A6 3C2:? 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 DFAA@CE 2 49:=5’D 962=E9J 8C@HE9]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmy@9?D w@A<:?D |65:4:?6 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9@A<:?D>65:4:?6]@C8^\^>65:2^7:=6D^2==49:=5C6?D^4=:?:42=\A2E9H2JD^<2?82@@\42C6\4=:?:42=\A2E9H2J\7:?2=\;2?\a_ab]A57QmD<:?\E@\D<:? “<2?82C@@” 42C6k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i p>6C:42? p4256>J @7 }6FC@=@8J[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ $6AE] ac[ a_adj k6>m}6FC@=@8Jk^6>m[ $6AE] ac[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAmu2>:=:6D H:E9 AC66>:6D D9@F=5 2D< 5@4E@CD 23@FE 92G:?8 >@C6 D<:?\E@\D<:? “<2?82C@@” 42C6 H:E9 E96:C ?6H3@C?D]k^Am
