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Skin-to-skin holding is a term used for placing an infant wearing only a diaper against the mother's bare skin, chest to chest in an upright position. It is also known as "kangaroo care." This can occur directly after birth and can help with bonding for both full-term and preterm infants. There is good evidence that doing this immediately after birth makes the transition from fetal to newborn life occur more smoothly for the infant. It has been shown that mothers benefit from this experience as well.
Skin-to-skin holding simply means holding your baby so that your bare skin touches her bare skin. This close human touch warms and comforts your baby and helps the two of you bond. Also called “kangaroo care,” skin-to-skin is especially good for breastfeeding.
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