Beneficial effects of postnatal skin-to-skin contact

Abstract

In a randomized trial, Bystrova et al. examined the traditional neonatal practice of swaddling. They demonstrated that extended skin-to-skin contact with the mother is the most effective way to maintain the infant's temperature and decrease the "stress of being born".

Conclusion: Only through research such as that reported by Bystrova et al. can the advantages or disadvantages of routinely accepted perinatal practices be evaluated.