Skin-to-Skin Contact Linked to Improved Cognitive Progress in Premature Babies, Newโข French Study finds
PARIS – โค Premature babies who recieve skin-to-skin contact with a parent shortly after birth demonstrate โฃsignificantly โขimproved cognitive development scoresโ at age five, โขaccording to a new study released by the French National Institute โคof Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in โขcollaboration with Paris Citรฉ andโฃ Sorbonne Paris Nordโข universities, and the โคCHRU of Tours and CHI of Crรฉteil hospital centers.
The research, which examined outcomes โfor children bornโ in France, revealedโค an average increase of 2.3 points on standardized IQ tests for those who benefited from early skin-to-skin care. While seemingly small on an individual โlevel, researchers emphasize the impact isโค “not negligibleโ when it comes to an average over an entire population,” according to study co-author Ayoub Mitha.
Approximately โค7%โ – over 42,000 – of the more than 600,000 babiesโฃ born annually in France are premature, highlighting the potential for widespread benefit. The study points โขto skin-to-skin โcontact’s role in “reducing โขseparation stress” and “providing โขa suitable sensory environment” as key factors in protecting brain development and creating a “long-lasting neuroprotective effect.” These early interactions activateโข “biological and hormonal mechanisms that participate in brain development โฃand the construction of โthe parent/child โemotional bond,” explainsโข researcher Vรฉronique Pierrat, noting there is “noโ time limit”โค for beneficial โcontact.
The findings reinforce recommendations from the โคWorld Health Institution (WHO), which since 2022 has advised immediate skin-to-skin care for premature orโค small babies, citing itsโ “major health benefits.” Researchers also note โฃimproved child survival ratesโข in low-income countries linkedโ to the practise.
The โstudy advocates forโ increased investment โคin “parental โrooms” within neonatalโ intensive care units to โfacilitate skin-to-skin contact, addressing current “disparities in practices โฃbetween care units.” Implementationโ is described as “inexpensive” and “simple,” requiring primarily professional training and investment in cozy โคseating for mothers, notablyโ those recovering from cesarean sections. “The cost is training professionals,”โ Pierrat stated, “and invest in good armchairs, because we often make do with what โคwe have.”
Researchers acknowledge individual parental preferences, โขemphasizing support for those who find the practice challenging, โwhile underscoring the overall importance of promoting skin-to-skin โฃcontact “at โthe population level.”
