“Kangaroo care” is the term used for maintaining skin-to-skin contact between the baby and mother for several hours each day over a period of days or weeks following birth. Typically, the baby, wearing only a diaper, is held against the mother’s bare chest, with the mother’s shirt or hospital gown wrapped under and around the baby’s bottom for support.

Maternal contact appears to have a calming effect on the newborn in addition to enhancing bonding. For premature babies the benefits can be even greater, with the mother’s body directly responding to the baby’s and helping to regulate temperature, for example, more naturally and smoothly than an incubator. Kangaroo care has also been shown to help stabilize a premature baby’s heartbeat and breathing. “We’ve found that kangaroo care can help us wean a baby off a ventilator sooner than we might otherwise be able to,” says Dr. Hufnal-Miller. “Even with the latest technology at our fingertips, we always strive to take a holistic approach to infant care.”