The Benefit Of Skin To Skin Contact Between Baby And Dad

The Benefit Of Skin To Skin Contact Between Baby And Dad

You must have heard about the skin to skin contact between the mother and the baby. They have some benefits. So what about the skin to skin contact between the baby and the dad? Are there any benefits?

Yes, there are. They are mentioned below:

Helps in brain development

When it comes to skin to skin contact, it is a different experience for both of them. Acceleration of brain maturation takes place with the development of neural pathways, when a baby is held with skin to skin contact with the dad. Studies show that the child who are kangaroo’ed spends more time sleeping quietly. This decreases the stress in baby and helps in brain development. If you are looking to keep your kids busy then you can also have some stuffs from baker ross, They have some great products for your child.

Reduces stress and calms down

When a baby is held to his dad in the kangaroo’ed manner, the amount of cortisol, which creates stress, gets lowered within 20 minutes. If the baby is in pain, then it will get reduced too. So such babies cry very less and get less nervous and irritated.

Let sleep better

The development of the brain depends on the quality of sleep that infants have. When they have skin to skin contact, they sleep well for 1 hour or more.

Improves immunity

When a baby comes in skin to skin contact with the dad, its immune system is stimulated. The immune system of dad has antibodies, which are passed to the child through skin to skin contact. Moreover, the skin of the baby gets hydrated and thus it protects baby from harmful bacteria.

Helps in digestion and weight gain

Skin to skin contact with the dad helps to improve the digestion process in babies. The body temperature of the baby rises during skin to skin contact and so for the same reason, baby’s body doesn’t burn fat to keep itself warm. This results in weight gain. There is a reduction of somatostatin and cortisol in babies due to skin to skin contact and so the brown fat of the babies remain preserved. You can also get some baby health products at discounted rate from Deals landsuk that will surely helps you to keep your healthy.

Helps to synchronize breathing and heartbeat

By coming in contact with the skin of dad, the heartbeat and breathing patterns are set in babies. It has been noted that slow heart rate and sporadic breathing is reduced, when a baby comes in skin to skin contact with the dad.

Skin to skin contact is beneficial for the babies, but apart from that, they are also beneficial to the dad. Such as:

Effects psychological health

When a dad holds a baby skin to skin, then the level of oxytocin hormone increases in the body. With the increase in oxytocin, testosterone decreases. This relaxes the dad and helps him to increase an affectionate behavior towards the baby. Once the dad understands the needs of the baby, he will be able to get in tune with the baby. Once the dad interacts with the baby, he is bound to have a strong bond for a long term.

There are two major differences between spending skin contact with the baby, by mom and dad.

Helps in milk production

Those moms who experience difficulty in milk production have been able to see the difference by practicing skin to skin with the baby for 1 hour per session at least twice a day. Now this is something that will be seen in moms only.

Body temperature regulation

When a mom holds the baby skin to skin, her breasts automatically regulate the temperature of the baby according to the need. The breast tissues of mom have the capacity to cool down or warm up the body of the baby. On the contrary, the dad’s body can only warm up the baby, which may even cause overheating. So it is recommended for the dad to hold the baby skin to skin only for 60 minutes.

So now, let’s see how a baby should be positioned for a skin to skin contact with dad

·         Dad should be in a semi-reclined position with his shirt off and baby should only be wearing a diaper.

· Make sure that the baby is properly positioned. His head should be turned on one side and his neck should be straight.  

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