Why The “Golden Hour” Is So Important to a Newborn’s Baby Development
How a newborn baby spends the first 60 minutes outside the womb can determine health factors – good and bad – for the rest of their lives.
In years gone by, newly born infants were often sent off for medical examinations after entering the world. However, in modern times, they are more commonly handed over to their mothers as quickly as possible. While most mothers are exhausted after labor, they are also understandably eager to see and hold their baby for the first time.
But even more importantly – the quick turnaround happens because research proved that getting skin-to-skin contact with the new proud mamma immediately after birth has more benefits than just bonding for the child. Dubbed the “golden hour” by scientists, new studies uncovered significant health benefits newborn babies receive by being held close to their mother’s skin in their first moments on earth.
This research states that the first 60 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact helps to regulate babies’ temperatures, control respiration, and lower the risk of low blood sugar. On top of that, the close contact triggers oxytocin production in the mother, bringing about the milk supply so newborns can receive much-needed nutrients immediately.
Professionals believe the best way to undertake this “golden hour” is for the baby to be placed face down on their mother’s belly with a blanket over them. The birth process is highly traumatic for the baby, and this position makes them feel more “at home” than any other.
This positioning also slows the production of adrenaline in the mother, typically in overdrive after giving birth. By slowing down the production of the hormone, there is no interference with the production of oxytocin, and breastfeeding can commence quicker.
A “Critical” Process
Tenelle Choal, a nurse-midwife at Sanford Heath in South Dakota, is firmly behind the idea of the golden hour.
“The golden hour is very beneficial and critical for even years down the road between both mom and baby. It’s super helpful to stabilize the newborn coming out of the uterus, as well as bonding.
“For the baby, it helps with thermal regulation, or a fancy term for helping a baby regulate temperature, as well as stabilizing blood sugar. For mom, it helps them produce hormones that help to breastfeed and produce milk, as well as decrease stress and anxiety and depression for her,” Choal explains.
She adds that, in her experience at least, there is less crying and fussing with infants who have experienced the golden hour, further emphasizing the importance of this practice for infant happiness.
Another senior doctor, Dr. Michelle Schimelpfenig, at Sanford Health in South Dakota, backs up the points made by Choal, labeling the immediate skin-to-skin contact between baby and mother as the ‘perfect situation’ after giving birth.
“Every situation is a little bit different, but in the perfect situation where everything has gone well, [the] baby would be delivered, and then immediately baby would go onto mom’s chest, and they would do skin-to-skin,” Dr. Schimelpfenig says.
“I think for a lot of moms, it’s finally that moment where they can just breathe, and at least for me, when I held our first, it was like, you know, this was nine months of not knowing what this child looked like, what they felt like, and finally, I can feel that.”
Touch Matters
While skin-to-skin is vital in the first hours after childbirth, it is also crucial as time goes on. Some mothers cannot hold their babies immediately because some are rushed off for medical treatment. These mothers should hold their newborns close to their bodies as soon as possible.
This means they should ignore the advice of those who tell them that holding their baby too often is bad for them because it “spoils” them. Regular close contact increases bonding between mother and child and stimulates a child’s brain development.
The type of contact is massively important, too. Holding a baby lovingly is far more likely to positively impact their development than just holding them and picking them up for practical reasons.
A team of researchers at a children’s hospital in Ohio recently observed 100 children to see how they responded to different types of touch in the days after they were born. The results show that newborns’ brains respond far better to cuddles than to other kinds of contact they may experience in the hospital, such as receiving injections.
Nathalie Maitre, a key researcher in the study, expanded on the findings, saying:
“We hoped to see that more positive touch experiences in the hospital would help babies shave a more typical perception of touch when they went home. But, we were surprised to find that if a baby experiences more painful procedures early in life, their sense of gentle touch can be affected. For new parents, including those whose young children must undergo complex medical procedures, take heart: your touch matters more than you know.”
The “golden hour” of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby immediately after birth is a feel-good bonding experience and a critical period for both physical and emotional health.
The research is clear: babies who receive immediate skin-to-skin contact have better temperature regulation, respiration, and blood sugar levels and are more likely to breastfeed successfully. Moms also benefit from reduced stress and anxiety and the initiation of milk production.
So, to all the new moms out there, don’t be afraid to hold your little one close and cherish that golden hour — it’s a precious moment that will have lasting benefits for both of you!
