OC09 - Early maternal contact has an impact on preterm infants' brain systems that manage stress.

Abstract

Theme: Parenting/parenthood. Early maternal contact can protect the infants' brain from harmful effects of stress while deprivation increases the stress level and leads to increased sensitivity to stress. To evaluate the effects of continuous skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after preterm birth on stress. Late preterm infants from two neonatal care units were randomized to either SSC or standard care. Salivary cortisol was measured in response to a nappy change at one month, and again at four months in response to a still-face procedure. Infants randomized to SSC had a significantly lower salivary cortisol reactivity at one month and there was a correlation between the mothers' and the preterm infants' salivary cortisol levels at four months. The results show that close parental contact and human touch have a buffering effect on the infant's stress reactivity and stimulate a more rapid development of regularity.