The Chinese Women’s Development Foundation has launched a campaign in Beijing to promote skin-to-skin contact parental care. Research shows that skin-to-skin parental care contributes to hormone secretion to make the babies feel happy so that the babies will be more emotionally secure and smart when growing up.
A review of 34 studies in foreign countries has found that skin-to-skin contact improved breastfeeding rates, infant cardio-respiratory stability and blood glucose levels. Benefits of skin-to-skin care parental care during infancy may persist for years. A long-term study of babies has found that benefits persisted years later. After assessing the children at 10 years of age, the researchers found benefits for those who had skin-to-skin care, including better maternal attachment behavior, reduced maternal anxiety, enhanced child cognitive development, and mother-child reciprocity.
In China, however, 80% of the parents will not give skin-to-skin contact every day and 30% of the parents spend less than one hour with their babies.
