A Stanford Medicine study shows that skin-to-skin cuddling, also known as kangaroo care, greatly helps the brain development of premature babies. The research found that premature babies who had more skin-to-skin contact with their parents had fewer developmental delays by age one. Even small increases in this contact led to noticeable improvements in their brain development.
The study looked at records from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and found that just 20 extra minutes of daily skin-to-skin contact led to a 10-point increase in brain development scores. This was true for all babies, no matter their family's income or health conditions. This simple practice helps both babies and parents by promoting bonding and reducing stress in the NICU.
Skin-to-skin care mimics the womb, which is essential for premature babies' development. The study suggests that hospitals should include this practice in their care routines to help preemies have better long-term outcomes.
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