Health Tip: Holding Your Infant Skin to Skin

(HealthDay News) — Skin-to-skin contact is comforting for newborns, who are still adjusting to the world around them. Even with just a few minutes of skin-to-skin care (holding an undressed baby next to your bare skin) can offer big benefits.

The American Academy of Pediatrics mentions these potential rewards:

  • Increased warmth for baby.
  • A more stable heartbeat and steadier breathing.
  • An increase in deep sleep time.
  • Less crying.
  • More weight gain.
  • An increased desire to breast-feed.