Skin-to-skin contact is an essential contact for the psychological development of the infant and the parent-child bond. Recommended by many health professionals as an essential care in the days following birth , it is a practice that remains unknown to many parents.
To help you better understand the benefits of skin-to-skin contact: we are sharing with you the opinion of a clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal care (who tested our skin-to-skin headbands throughout her pregnancy!).
What is skin-to-skin?
Skin-to-skin is a practice that involves placing a baby in a diaper, lying against the bare chest of the parents .
The physical proximity of skin to skin allows the infant to regulate its temperature, stabilize its breathing and heart rate.
Often encouraged from the first hours of life, this practice also plays an essential role in the psychological and emotional development of the child , as well as in strengthening the parent-child bond.
The psychological benefits of skin-to-skin contact
Benefit #1: Reduced stress and anxiety
Birth is a major upheaval for a baby. When he comes into the world, he goes from a warm, enveloping, protective and dark environment, where he can feed continuously, to a colder, brighter and sometimes noisy environment, where he must come forward to be fed and comforted. What an upheaval!
Many psychoanalysts agree that this transition would represent one of the first major traumas of life . This brutal separation from the mother and the intrauterine environment would leave a lasting imprint on the unconscious. It would thus push the baby into an endless quest to find this state of security , seeking comfort, fusion and well-being again.
In this context, skin-to-skin contact plays an essential role in helping the baby adapt gently to its new environment. This contact would act as a protective cocoon, where it would find reassuring sensations : warmth, smell, heartbeat, voice, wrapping. So many familiar elements that would evoke the intrauterine experience. These sensations would bring comfort and reduce the anxiety linked to this brutal transition.
Benefit #2: The key role of the skin in the link between body and mind
Psychoanalyst Didier Anzieu explains through his writings on the " Skin-Me" how the skin plays an essential role in the psychological development of the baby .
The skin would not only be a physical barrier: it would also help the child to build himself internally, serving as the basis for his identity and his relationships with the world.
This Me-Skin would fulfill three main functions:
• Protection : The skin would act as a barrier that would protect the baby physically and psychologically , maintaining an inner unity and preventing its emotions from dispersing.
• Connection with others : Through touch , the skin would allow the baby to interact with those around him and create his first emotional bonds.
• Self-construction : The skin would help the baby to perceive himself as a person distinct from others, a key step in building his own identity.
Benefit #3: A strengthened attachment bond
Direct and prolonged skin-to-skin contact promotes the creation of a "secure" attachment bond between the baby and its parents. A secure attachment would contribute to healthy and serene emotional, social and psychological development.
The more secure the attachment bond, the more confident the child will feel, able to create relationships, express himself, regulate his emotions and adapt to changes in his future life. Attachment theory , developed by the English psychoanalyst John Bowlby, shows that a secure attachment is a pillar of mental health .
For parents, skin-to-skin contact would promote a feeling of competence and trust . Indeed, parents would develop a better intuition to respond to their child's needs, which would in fact improve the quality of their relationship. This bond would also be reinforced by the release of oxytocin , which would promote positive emotions and reduce the risks of postpartum depression .
In addition, skin-to -skin contact would allow them to feel closer to their child , thus decreasing the feeling of anxiety and stress related to parenthood. This practice would create a calming environment for both, transmitting a sense of calm and serenity from parent to baby.
The first moments of skin-to-skin contact are said to help parents immerse themselves in their new role , develop increased sensitivity to their child's needs, and strengthen their confidence and emotional attachment.
Benefit #4: Crucial support for the parent-child bond in cases of prematurity
In premature newborns , skin-to-skin contact also plays a crucial role in building the parent-child bond, which is often difficult to establish early due to the conditions of birth.
In care units, skin-to-skin contact thus becomes a privileged way to give parents their place , help them develop an emotional bond with their baby, and encourage dialogue between them, their child and the care team.
This contact, based on touch, is an essential step in establishing this essential bond, even if this step can be difficult for parents.
Benefit #5: A natural pain reliever
In addition to reducing anxiety, skin-to-skin contact may act as a non-drug treatment for pain in infants .
The soothing effects of prone positioning, touch, wrapping, as well as olfactory and multisensory stimulation would contribute to this pain-relieving effect.
Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, it is known that skin-to-skin contact increases the production of endorphins , natural painkillers produced by the body. Thus, the reduction in pain would allow the baby to explore its environment with more serenity, facilitating its emotional, affective and cognitive development.
Conclusion: the benefits of skin-to-skin contact for children and their parents
To conclude, skin-to-skin would not only be a physical practice but a complete method which would respond to the psychological and emotional needs of the baby and its parents .
This direct contact would promote the serenity, security and psychological development of the child, while allowing parents to experience intense moments of connection and discovery.
Beyond the first few days, skin-to-skin contact is thought to have lasting effects on the child's emotional development and strengthen parental skills , laying the foundations for a harmonious relationship and secure attachment, essential for the child's future development.
Article written by Louise Portafaix - Clinical psychologist & psychotherapist specializing in perinatality. Consultations by video and in office (Lyon).