2 November 2018
Almost every mother at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has had skin-to-skin bonding with their newborn babies, the latest figures show.
Immediate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby has “lasting benefits” for both, according to experts, including protecting babies from infection and encouraging them to breastfeed.
The latest year-to-date figures show that 2,327 of the 2,334 (99.7%) of mothers who have babies at SaTH this financial year have enjoyed this important bonding time.
Matron Jill Whitaker said: “We are very proud that we are supporting new mothers to have skin-to-skin contact with their newborn babies.
“At such an important time in their lives we want to ensure new mothers and their partners feel confident and empowered, and are always looking at ways we can improve and enhance the care our parents receive.
“Occasionally it is not possible for a mum to have skin-to-skin contact within the first hour – and we also have to respect women’s choices – but we are always very clear about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact.”
Since 1 April 2018, only seven women have not have skin-to-skin contact with their babies within an hour of delivery.
Jill said: “Last year we were at or about the national average, but we want to be much better than average so we developed a plan to, when appropriate, initiate skin-to-skin contact after a caesarean section to improve the outcome for mother and baby.
“During antenatal classes, we talk a lot about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact and it is now something that most parents expect as part of their birth experience.”