“Kangaroo care” is the practice of placing the baby, naked, immediately on the chest of a parent, to initiate skin-to-skin contact. But, in the event of a cesarean section, the mother cannot ensure this contact because of her own care. A study shows that putting baby on the co-parent has the same advantages.
There are several ways to approach a newborn baby. Cut the cord immediately or wait a few minutes for example. But the practice that everyone agrees – scientists, parents and even babies – is skin-to-skin contact directly after childbirth.
We call this practice “Kangaroo care”. It consists of placing the newborn on the breast of his mother or co-parent, during the seconds following birth. The goal is to gently initiate skin-to-skin contact. It seems to be as beneficial for baby as it is for mom.
However, this practice can only be done in the case of an uncomplicated vaginal birth. During a cesarean section, the mother cannot ensure skin-to-skin contact because of her own postoperative care
What to do in case of cesarean section?
A new study published in the journal Acta Pediatrica shows that in the case of surgery, it is the non-giving parent who should initiate skin-to-skin contact. Study author Ana Ayala explains, “A father [co-parent] who provides skin-to-skin contact with his newborn baby immediately after a Caesarean provides the same calming and comforting benefits as a mother. It also allows the mother to feel more relaxed knowing that her child is with the father [co-parent] ”.
This allows the co-parent to immediately get involved in the baby's life, and bond with the baby. “It will increase the self-confidence of the other partner as a parent and strengthen family bonds,” says Ana Ayala. “Skin-to-skin contact [even with the other parent] facilitated the newborn baby's behavior before breastfeeding, which is to seek the breast”.
The benefits of skin-to-skin contact
The advantages of this first contact are well known. A 2013 article, “The sacred hour”, Explains very well what this first contact during the first hour of life brings to the baby. “There is good evidence that normal term newborns who are placed skin-to-skin with their mothers immediately after birth transition from fetus to newborn with greater respiratory, temperature and glucose stability and much more. less crying, which indicates reduced stress".
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There is nothing more heartwarming for a baby than spending the first few moments of life with its parents.
Focus on “kangaroo care”
According to Sarah Rahal, physician, doubly certified as an adult and pediatric neurologist, “Kangaroo care was first introduced in the 1970s in Colombia, when a lack of personnel and equipment led pediatricians to shift the focus of sick infant care to their mothers' breasts ”.
For this study, 95 full term infants were distinguished into 3 groups: one group was placed in a crib immediately after birth, another was grouped and placed in their father's arms, and yet another was placed in a crib. been placed, naked except for a diaper, on their father's bare chest for skin-to-skin contact. In addition to all the benefits that contact offers, there is no negative effect on baby.