That is the result of new recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. It refers to newborns born before 37 weeks of pregnancy or weighing less than 2.5 kilograms.
The new guidelines could revolutionize the care of premature babies, said pediatrician Karen Edmond, who oversees the issue at WHO in Geneva. In many clinics, the handling has been approached differently so far.
It is believed that premature babies, who often have difficulty regulating their body temperature, need to be stabilized in an incubator and with breathing aids before they can contact their mother. The WHO now thinks that is incorrect.
“The first hug with a parent is not only emotionally important, but absolutely crucial to improving the survival and health of young and premature babies,” said Edmond.
All babies, even those who still have trouble breathing, can benefit from immediate close skin contact. Infant intensive care units need to be adapted so that mothers can stay with their children 24/7 and have as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. This reduces the chance of infections in children and many gain weight faster.
For its new recommendations, WHO reviewed more than 200 studies that shed light on how to manage premature babies and babies who are underweight immediately after birth. According to WHO, 15 million babies are born prematurely every year. This corresponds to more than ten percent of all births. Each year, more than 20 million babies are underweight.
(SDA)