Skin to Skin & Heart to Heart

The purpose of this study was to research the importance of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth. The research was accomplished by analyzing different research articles regarding benefits of skin-to-skin for the new baby mother and determining how it benefits the postpartum mother with attachment and decreasing postpartum depression. During the research process, the findings show that the benefits clearly outweigh the risks on implementing skin-to-skin immediately after birth unless the infant is in immediate distress. Due to the United States being at the top of the list for infant mortality, the research was conducted to examine if skin-to-skin contact could help this growing health problem. Many types of research were used for this project including: qualitative, experimental, and non-experimental studies. Through the many approaches of the articles, the topic could be covered from many different perspectives. A few examples of this are parental experiences with skin-to-skin contact with their extremely preterm infants, the effect of contact with postpartum mothers who had a traumatic childbirth, and the importance of the sacred hour after birth. In conclusion, babies are as close to their mothers as they can be during pregnancy and during labor the babies suddenly find themselves without the comfort and needs found in the womb. Skin-to-skin contact gives the closest feeling of being the in the womb, helps both mother and infant to establish a relationship and improves mother/infant outcomes