Bethany Castronuevo

ISM- Period 7

Norton, Amy. "Skin-to-Skin Contact May Lower Preemies' Risk of Death: Review; Prolonged

touching with mom in intensive care unit also reduced chances of blood

infections." Consumer Health News, 22 Dec. 2015. Health & Wellness Resource

Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=HWRC&sw=w&u=j084910009&v=2.1&id=GALE%7

CA438273570&it=r&asid=ef253b940d32cc022ddcdf2c47d99e1d. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017

There have been about 124 studies across the world that have proved that skin to skin
contact will help out newborns.
This started with a doctor in Columbia who wanted to find an alternative to incubators.
He came up with the idea of mothers holding their babies on her chest, with a blanket
covering the baby.
Kangaroo care does a lot. It helps regulate newborns body temperature, improves vital
signs such as heart rate and breathing, and advocates breastfeeding.
In an online report titled Pediatrics it was confirmed that skin to skin can lower the risk
for sepsis and boost the newborns survival rate
In general, skin to skin helped have a lower death rate then mothers who didnt do skin to
skin by 36%, half the chance of getting sepsis (an infection in the blood), a 78% lower
chance of getting hypothermia, and a whopping 88% lower risk of low blood sugar
There was a possible point of error, which is that all of these experiments were conducted
in different countries.
Even though the experiments were committed inn second and third world countries,
doctors still agreed that skin to skin was good for newborns.
It is not yet a tradition to do skin to skin contact, but it is really important.
Some people use it for preterm infants, and some use it as soon as the baby is born
Doctors believe that parents should be educated on skin to skin contact and how they
make life better for babies.
Researchers are really aware that skin to skin will help out newborns, and they have a lot
of data to back it up.
Doctors will want to educate parents on this matter in the future as well.

This source gave me some reassurance that skin to skin contact is actually helpful to
newborns all around the world, with feedback from researchers and doctors who confirm the
statement.
 Bethany Castronuevo
ISM- Period 7
Woodward, A. "Bonding." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by Bonnie Strickland,

2nd ed., Gale, 2001, pp. 86-88. Gale Virtual Reference

Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=j084910009&v=2.1&id=GALE

%7CCX3406000092&it=r&asid=c924ff7e4642539b7f6f0e8585783a91. Accessed 26

Oct. 2017.

Bonding is a way parents can establish a relationship with their child from birth.
Bonding can also be called attachment.
But, the difference between bonding and attachment is that bonding is when a baby is just
new born, and attachment is when the newborn grows to be an infant
Researchers in the United States have concluded, that there is a sensitive period that
happens after birth, where the mother is aware of the newborn, and the newborn is alert
and charming towards the mother.
Pediatricians started doing research on this topic and have noticed that as soon as the
baby is born, they will be taken away, making them be away from their mothers. They
did okay in the hospital, but not at home, for they were more likely victims of abuse.
Mothers also seemed more uncomfortable with their children.
They then noted that the mothers who werent separated from their children had a better
relationship with their children.
So, due to this experiment and many experiments being formed, family members could
be with mothers during labor and delivery. Mothers were also allowed to hold infants
after birth, and spent as much time together during the hospital stay. Anesthesia was also
not used as much due to the side effect it has on the mother.
There is a quiet alert which allows parents to bond with the infant after birth, which is
the first 45-60 minutes of birth, with research concluding that the newborn can see, hear,
and will move based on the mothers voice. During this time, parents are allowed to
stroke their child.
At the same time, researchers have also found out that the blood flow to the mothers
breasts increase when the infant starts to weep. Scientists think that the mothers instincts
kick in, and they will want to bond more with their child, increasing the infants survival.
This research wasnt always the same, but they have concluded that a mother spending
time with her newborn will help improve the relationship with their baby.
Some parents worry that they cannot become good parents if they do not do as much
bonding with their child, but its okay if they dont.
Hospitals are now more open to parents wanting to be their children. They are required to
answer questions of family members and patients regarding this topic.

The source was very insightful, showing how the rules of the hospital have changed over
time, where newborns could spend more time with their parents to establish a stronger
bond with their parents.
 Bethany Castronuevo
ISM- Period 7

Organization, World Health. Breastfeeding and Growth. Kangaroo Mother Care: a Practical

Guide, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. World Health Organization,

2003, pp. 78.

There have been some studies done in lower-income countries who have researched the
effect on skin to skin contact
There were 3 studies conducted and they all concluded the studies went up with the ratio
to the population.
There were also 6 other studies that were organized in richer countries and they found out
that skin to skin contact was not at once and it was only for a short amount of time.
It also was concluded that skin to skin is good for breastfeeding
But, breastfeeding is not as common for infants who are preterm and have low birth
weight, specifically if they are taken care of by an incubator.
There is an alternative, which is the bottle, also known as bottle feeding.
Scientists have concluded that skin to skin contact goes hand in hand with breastfeeding,
in a good way.
They have come to the conclusion that the sooner you start the skin to skin contact, the
breastfeeding will have a bigger effect.
Newborns are born with knowing how to breast feed from an early age due to the
mothers scent and the heat she radiates.
In the first hour of the babys birth, they need to be breastfed and have skin to skin
contact or else it will have a bad side effect on both the baby and mother.
The skin to skin contact will stay the same even though breastfeeding starts.
The baby will eventually fall asleep, but they will wake up on their mothers chest,
hungry and looking for food. The baby will smell the milk that will make the babies
stomach ready for the food
During breastfeeding, the babies brain is working a lot, having their senses take place and
brain circuits starting to work more.
Some scientists believe that milk is first used to protect the child, and then it later
becomes healthy for the baby
In all, breast feeding is good for the child. It will help the baby be healthy and it will also
help the baby grow.
The skin to skin contact promotes the breastfeeding, and then the breastfeeding will
produce the breast milk, which will give the baby all of the nutrients needed.

This excerpt helped me a lot, giving and supporting more details of the reasons why skin
to skin contact is so important and stressed in the hospital, with one of the most important
examples, which is breastfeeding.