A new study from Florida Atlantic University in the United States has found that skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby (also known as "kangaroo care") can promote infant brain development.
The researchers surveyed 33 pairs of mothers and babies and compared the neurodevelopmental status of infants who received 6 weeks of kangaroo-style care and standard care (control group) within the first three months of life.
The researchers asked the mothers in the test group to care for their babies using kangaroo care with skin contact with each other and chest to chest, 1 hour a day for 6 weeks, and to record the frequency of kangaroo care in detail.
For mothers in the control group, the researchers also asked for the recording of infants in 6 weeks of care. When the babies were 3 months old, the researchers measured their EEG activity while they remained quiet for 5 minutes, while collecting maternal and infant urine samples, measuring oxytocin levels, collecting saliva samples from babies before and after mild stress, and measuring infant cortisol responsiveness.
The results showed that the left frontal lobe of the infant brain (a brain region closely related to higher-order cognitive and emotion regulation functions) in the "kangaroo care group" was significantly activated. Studies have pointed out that more touching of babies can promote their brain neurodevelopment, improve hormone levels, and benefit their physical and mental health. For newborns, mothers can be more close to their children's skin. ▲ (Chen Xi)
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