A study found that even small increases in skin-to-skin time with preemies can lead to significant improvements in their neurologic development in the first year. Kangaroo care, where newborns are held close to the chest in just a diaper, has been shown to benefit both preterm and full-term infants by improving their cognitive skills, parent-child bonding, and ability to initiate breastfeeding. The study looked at 181 premature infants and found that more skin-to-skin care was associated with higher neurodevelopment scores at 12 months. This simple intervention can help improve outcomes for babies at risk for long-term neurodevelopmental problems.
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