SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT AFTER BIRTH- THE IMPACT ON PROMOTING MATERNAL AND NEONATAL HEALTH AND CREATING MOTHER-INFANT RELATIONSHIP - REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE

Introduction and Purpose: Skin-to-skin contact after birth is a low-cost procedure which can bring numerous benefits for the mother-infant dyad. This unique moment can lead to improvement of infant's health outcomes and enhance mother's well-being, as well as to creating a strong, irreplaceable parent-child bond. The aim of this review is to emphasize the importance of physical contact between mother and child after delivery in medical practice and highlight the necessity for creating a safe envinroment for women to have an uninterrupted skin to skin contact with their newborns. Current Knowledge: It has been demonstrated that skin-to-skin contact has an impact on newborn's health. Most importantly, it has been proven to lower mortality rates in resource-limited environment. Furthermore, skin-to-skin contact improves the development of the infant’s adaptive mechanisms, positively influences the establishment of their microbiota, and reduces stress while modulating the infant’s reactivity towards the parent. Mothers also receive multiple benefits from this procedure, including a reduced risk of perinatal hemorrhage, enhanced mood, and notably, increased success in breastfeeding, which itself brings major advantages for both mother and child. Beyond its significant health implications, skin-to-skin contact strengthens the maternal-infant bond, bringing long-lasting positive effects on their relationship. Conclusion: Skin-to-skin contact is a safe procedure which undeniably has an impact on a newborn's and mother's health. It has been proven to bring numerous health benefits while requiring minimal resources. It is crucial to spread knowledge about this practice and raise awareness among both: medical staff and parents to facilitate the implementation of SSC as a routine procedure. Furthermore, there is a need to conduct more research on this matter, especially focusing on very premature infants.