A St. Francis Xavier University four-year research project has unveiled some intriguing results about skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants.

StFX professors, students, and community health professionals conducted the first-of-its-kind research in Canada that focuses on the long-term benefits of the mother and infant relationships.

“We followed over a hundred mothers and infants until the babies were three months old. The results showed that by engaging in skin-to-skin contact with their babies, mothers provided health benefits to themselves, to their babies, and to the developing mother-infant relationship. This was a true university-community research project,” said Dr. Ann Bigelow, StFX professor who was the lead researcher on the project. “There were a number of collaborators from the fields of psychology, nursing, medicine, nutrition, and anthropology. Students were involved with almost every aspect of the project,” she added.

A DVD called ‘Enhancing Baby’s First Relationship,’ showcases mothers and infants from across Nova Scotia. The DVD features testimonials from parents and health practitioners and provides an overview of research findings and personal accounts about the effects of skin-to-skin contact for the infant, the mother, and the developing mother-infant relationship.

The DVD, released July 8, and supplementary information about skin-to-skin contact with infants can be viewed at:  www.mystfx.ca/InfantSkinToSkinContact

Links to media interviews with Dr. Bigelow:

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/07/08/skin-to-skin-babies-mothers.html

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1190888.html