This incredible photo of a young boy helping his father to give skin to skin contact to the premature twins has won the Internet.
In the photo, the topless brother and father are lying next to each other, each holding one of the premature born twins and giving them skin to skin contact in a hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Skin to skin contact is actually a common practice in Sweden for premature babies.
Skin-to-skin contact is not “new”, but Sweden certainly leads the way in making this care family-friendly, even for very tiny babies. Children of 700 grams can be skin to skin on the parent’s chest instead of the incubator.
The Swedish professor Uwe Ewald explains this revolutionary practice where premature babies are taken out from the incubators and are given skin to skin contact with their parent.
“Premature babies, born three months prematurely, are put on the parent’s chest instead of alone in an incubator.“
The parent’s chest regulates the temperature better than an incubator. Skin to skin contact helps the baby to breathe better.
“The child becomes calmer and gains weight faster. Research shows that parents bacterial flora – compared with hospital bacteria – reduces the risk of serious infections in these delicate children.” explains professor Ewald.