“Low lighting and visual stimulation. Bright lights should be dimmed so that the newborn can easily explore faces, especially those of the family. Low lighting can contribute to calm, relaxed feelings and thus improve circulation. Under such circumstances, newborns appreciate eye-to-eye contact, especially with the smiling faces of mothers and fathers. Muted ambient noise and auditory stimulation. Sound levels of equipment are kept down so that, when close to the mother, the newborn can detect the familiar maternal heartbeat and voice. Soft touch. A large body of research shows that like other mammals, human babies require maternal touch at birth. One study showed that mothers rooming with infants and touching them often after birth had happier and healthier children in subsequent years. Cross-cultural studies reveal that low-touch societies have a higher incidence of aggressive behavior. To foster emotional security, mothers in the Panthuraamphorn program are encouraged to hold, stroke, and pat their babies immediately after birth. Warmth. Panthuraamphorn suggests that air-conditioning” “conditioning, intended for the comfort of those who are gowned and gloved, be switched off before the baby arrives. He also advocates the practice of Frederick Leboyer, who suggested that babies experience a warm-water bath shortly after birth. Supportive movement and activity. Moving from the fluid warmth of the womb to the outside world can be shocking. To ease the transition, the baby should be wrapped loosely to allow free movement of arms and legs, as in the early days of gestation, and placed on the mother’s abdomen to reconnect with the sounds inside the womb. Breast-feeding. In utero the prenate sucks fingers and toes and ingests small amounts of amniotic fluid. Spontaneous and naturally soothing, this suckling activity in the womb needs to be continued in the form of breast-feeding. Early breast-feeding, moreover, provides immediate stimulation of the senses of taste, smell, touch, and sight.”
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:30:36 +0000
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