Very preterm infants and those with very low birth weight face serious risks in the first days of life. A new analysis looked at whether starting skin-to-skin contact early could help. This practice involves placing the baby directly on a parent or caregiver chest. The team combined results from four trials involving 1,679 newborns.
The analysis showed a significant drop in death risk for babies who received this early care. Infection risk also showed a reduction trend, but the data did not reach a definitive conclusion on that point. Temperature stability, or hypothermia, showed mixed results across the different studies included.
The researchers noted that only four trials were available for this specific question. They also warned that the findings might not apply to the smallest babies born before 28 weeks or those weighing under 1,000 grams. More studies are needed to confirm these results for the most fragile infants.