A new study recommends that while the mother is recuperating from the Caesarian birth of their newborn babies, the baby should have skin-to-skin contact with their father. The Swedish experts said that the C-section babies would have a more stable heart rate if they lie on their father's bare chest than placed in a crib.
Previous studies have shown the benefits of newborn babies getting skin-to-skin contact with either their mom or dad. But in many countries, C-section babies are usually placed in neonatal units immediately after they are born while their mothers recover from the use of general anesthetic.
The study was published in the journal Acta Paediatrica.
Skin-to-Skin Contact With Father Boosts Heart Rate of C-Section Babies
Study author and reproductive health expert Kllike Christensson from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said that hospitals around the world usually separate newborn babies from their parents after a C-section birth. But their study suggests that fathers can also safely care for their newborn babies if the mothers are unable to do so after birth.
After conducting tests, they found that the babies' heart rates were higher and more stable over time with those who experienced skin-to-skin contact with their fathers, MailOnline reported.
"The infants in the skin-to-skin contact group had a higher mean heart rate at 45 minutes after Caesarean delivery than the other two groups," said paper author Ana Ayala. The high heart rates could last up to 90 minutes.
Moreover, the researchers said that the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment results showed that skin-to-skin contact improved the wakefulness of the babies in the short term.
Skin-to-Skin Contact With Father Has Similar Benefits As A Mother
In 2007, a study published in Issues in Perinatal Care suggested that baby skin-to-skin contact with father after a C-section birth offers the same benefits of calm and comfort to the infant as a mother. They observed how the newborn babies stopped crying and were calmer when they were lain on their father's bare chests compared to babies lying on the crib.
According to Science Daily, early skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her baby might need to be limited due to practical and medical reasons. The researchers said that mothers are not usually available to their babies for contact after the procedure. In that case, a father can soothe his newborn, which is proven to be as effective as a mother.
Moreover, they found that the skin-to-skin contact with the father facilitates the newborn's pre-feeding behavior of seeking breastmilk within the first hours of life. That means the child is fully prepared when they are reunited with their mother.
"The development of inborn nursing reflexes, such as mouth movements and rooting, is similar to that of infants that are skin-to-skin with the mother," says study author Kerstin Erlandsson.
READ MORE: Sleeping Problems Among Babies Linked to Mental Disorders As Adolescents: Study
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