# 2: Body System Regulation Babies who are left
skin to skin with their mothers for the first hours immediately after birth are better able to regulate their temperature and respiration.
Being
skin to skin with their mothers helps babies to stabilize respiration, meaning that their cord will remain intact for longer and giving them more chance to receive vital red blood cells and reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia.
Babies that are left to
do skin to skin with their mother during the golden hour after birth is better able to control their body temperature and respiration much better than babies without the golden hour benefit.
When babies who have not been exposed to medications are
placed skin to skin with their mothers and left undisturbed, they will instinctually crawl to their mother's breast and attach themselves to the nipple.
In a culture that commonly separates mothers and babies for routine procedures such as cleaning, weighing and measuring, most babies are missing that critical time of being
skin to skin with their mothers, which has short and long term consequences for all.
Babies should be together,
skin to skin with their mothers, 24 hours a day (See handout 1a The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact).
Many hospitals that have the Baby Friendly designation will delay this treatment at least for the first hour of baby's life as the baby is
skin to skin with the mother and breastfeeding.
A preemie that is placed
skin to skin with his mother, and practices Kangaroo Mother Care, will be able to regulate his own systems better than when placed flat on his back in an incubator.