Skin-to-skin contact after birth: what WHO includes in essential newborn care

What is skin-to-skin contact after birth?

WHO describes immediate skin-to-skin contact between the mother and newborn as part of Early Essential Newborn Care. WHO’s essential newborn-care framework also lists skin-to-skin contact among the immediate care measures at birth.

Why does WHO include skin-to-skin contact in newborn care?

WHO links skin-to-skin contact with thermal protection and the establishment of breastfeeding. WHO’s Early Essential Newborn Care information describes the practice as helping transfer warmth and supporting early exclusive breastfeeding and mother–baby bonding.

How long does WHO describe early contact continuing?

WHO’s Early Essential Newborn Care question-and-answer page states that prolonged skin-to-skin contact is recommended for no less than 90 minutes. This is a general WHO maternity and newborn-care recommendation, not a direction for an individual birth situation.

How does this relate to breastfeeding?

WHO includes early initiation of breastfeeding alongside skin-to-skin contact in immediate newborn care. The same WHO material explains that direct contact after birth helps breastfeeding become established.

Is skin-to-skin contact the same as Kangaroo Mother Care?

WHO distinguishes general early skin-to-skin contact after birth from Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), which is care for preterm or low-birth-weight infants based on prolonged and continuous skin-to-skin contact together with other elements of care. KMC relates to a specific newborn population and should not be inferred from this general page for an individual baby.

Related ChildSpecialist.in information

For WHO-based information about the wider newborn period, see newborn danger signs parents should not ignore. For feeding after the newborn period, see feeding in the first two years.