Evidence Library · After the baby is out

The first hour, and skin to skin

One of the best-supported things in this entire tool.

Across 69 randomized trials and more than 7,000 mother-infant pairs, immediate or early skin-to-skin contact improved breastfeeding, newborn blood sugar, temperature, breathing and heart rate stability, and reduced crying. The reviewers now advise against running further trials in which the control group does not receive skin-to-skin, on the grounds that the evidence is sufficient.

In the earlier version of the same review, breastfeeding at one to four months was more likely with skin-to-skin (odds ratio 1.82), and crying duration was shorter.

Weighing, measuring, vitamin K, eye ointment and the newborn examination can all wait. Delaying the first bath by more than six hours was associated with more exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (odds ratio 1.20, about 44 more babies per 1,000) and less hypothermia (10% against 17%).

Say this on admission"Unless my baby needs help, I want an uninterrupted hour of skin to skin, and everything else can wait." Written down, this happens. Assumed, it often does not.

Where this comes from:

232. Moore ER, Brimdyr K, Blair A, Jonas W, Lillisköld S, Svensson K, et al. Immediate or early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;(10):CD003519.

233. Moore ER, Anderson GC, Bergman N. Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(3):CD003519.

234. Priyadarshi M, Balachander B, Gupta S, Sankar MJ. Timing of first bath in term healthy newborns: a systematic review. J Glob Health. 2022;12:12004.

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