What is one role of skin-to-skin contact after birth?

What is one role of skin-to-skin contact after birth?

• A. Helps regulate the baby's temperature in the first 2 hours.
• B. Improves vision.
• C. Delays first feeding.
• D. Increases crying.

Answer: (A)

Skin-to-skin contact after birth primarily helps regulate the newborn’s temperature during the crucial early hours. Newborns aren’t efficient at keeping their own body heat and are prone to rapid heat loss, so placing them on the mother’s bare chest creates a warm, closely shared environment that supports heat transfer and keeps core temperature more stable, especially in the first two hours after birth. This thermoregulation also helps conserve energy for growth and feeding. While skin-to-skin offers other benefits like promoting bonding and easing feeding, it does not improve vision, it does not delay the first feeding (it actually supports it), and it tends to reduce crying rather than increase it.

Skin-to-skin contact after birth primarily helps regulate the newborn’s temperature during the crucial early hours. Newborns aren’t efficient at keeping their own body heat and are prone to rapid heat loss, so placing them on the mother’s bare chest creates a warm, closely shared environment that supports heat transfer and keeps core temperature more stable, especially in the first two hours after birth. This thermoregulation also helps conserve energy for growth and feeding. While skin-to-skin offers other benefits like promoting bonding and easing feeding, it does not improve vision, it does not delay the first feeding (it actually supports it), and it tends to reduce crying rather than increase it.