If the newborn’s clinical condition is favorable, skin-to-skin contact should be initiated immediately after birth.
The vital signs of mother and baby should be checked regularly to monitor their well-being. The person accompanying the patient, family member, doula or health care staff should monitor the woman’s wakefulness to protect the newborn’s safety in this vulnerable period.
In gestations with high risk of prematurity or potentially needing admission to the Neonatal Care Unit, prenatal admission is an opportunity for communication with the pregnant women.
Evidence-based counseling about the benefits of human milk feeding is a public health intervention that improves breastfeeding rates. Repeated prenatal informational interviews are more effective than isolated interventions and should be documented in the medical record.
Since 2011, November 17 has been recognized as the World Prematurity Day in order to give visibility to this problem, raise awareness of the needs and rights of premature babies and their families, sensitize decision makers, health teams and the whole society about the importance of experience and quality care, to advance policies that guarantee the full rights of both babies and families.
Kangaroo mother care is an intervention that enables the mother to assume a central role in her own and her newborn's care, thus ensuring that the lead role remains with the mother and that health workers support and respond to the mother’s and newborn’s needs.
Early skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding are two closely linked interventions that should be carried out immediately after birth.
Immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact facilitates lactation, enriches the microbiome of newborns, prevents hypothermia and hypoglycemia, and stabilizes respiratory function.
Early suckling at the breast stimulates the activation of milk secretion and transfers colostrum, rich in immunoactive substances, especially important for those born prematurely.
Early skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding are two closely linked interventions that should be carried out immediately after birth.
Immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact facilitates lactation, enriches the microbiome of newborns, prevents hypothermia and hypoglycemia, and stabilizes respiratory function.
Early suckling at the breast stimulates lactogenesis II (activation of milk secretion) and transfers colostrum, rich in immunoactive substances, especially important for those born prematurely.
In neonatal hospitalization areas, the unrestricted admission of mothers and fathers facilitates close contact with their newborns, the development of bonding and the provision of care for which they will be primarily responsible after discharge.
When a child is born prematurely, some things are important to initiate and sustain the mother’s milk production:
- In the birthing area:
• Immediate, direct and continuous skin-to-skin contact, whenever clinically possible.
• Extraction of colostrum for administration into the newborn’s oropharynx.