Project 456444

Preterm birth before 37 weeks of the typical 40 weeks of pregnancy is a major stress on both the infant and their mother. Especially for infants born very prematurely at less than 33 weeks of completed pregnancy, there is often the need for additional specialized medical care immediately after birth, and infants born preterm are at greater risk of neurodevelopmental delays. As a result, in most settings, conventional care after preterm birth includes separation of parents and the newborn, which can delay immediate contact/closeness with the mother. Skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, protects against stress-related outcomes in children and improves breastfeeding. Breastfeeding also has anti-stress effects as a result of the release of hormones in the breastmilk and the brain. Preterm infants can show disruptions in stress hormones and stress-related behaviours as a result of the separation and also reduced breastfeeding, and these disruptions can affect brain development. However, the biological mechanisms involved are poorly understood. The overall objective of this research is to identify biological mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effects of immediate skin-to-skin contact in children and their caregivers. This research will analyze the results of a clinical trial that has assessed skin-to-skin contact compared to conventional care in very preterm infants. We will study genes in infant blood samples over time in relation to time spent in maternal contact and breastfeeding. This research will improve our understanding of how mother-infant contact benefits the preterm baby.