site.bta Close to 90% of Mothers Denied Skin-to-skin Contact with Newborns Immediately after Birth

Close to 90% of Mothers Denied Skin-to-skin Contact with NewbornsImmediately after Birth

Sofia, January 5 (BTA) - Close to 90 per cent of Bulgarian mothers are denied skin-to-skin contact with their newborns immediately after birth, shows a survey conducted on the matter in December of 2015 among over 5,200 women who have given birth in the past three years. The results were presented by representatives of an NGO involved in maternal health care at a BTA-hosted news conference on Tuesday.

Ralitsa Dimitrova of the Rodilnitsa association noted that only one in seven moms were not separated from their newborns in the first hour following birth.

The skin-to-skin contact between the mother and infant immediately after birth strengthens the newborn's immune system, allows them to adapt better to life outside the womb and is important for breast feeding, explained Elena Krusteva of the Estestveno association. Quoting the survey results, she noted that only eight per cent of moms have started breast feeding in the first hour after giving birth.

Close to 79 per cent of moms believe that hospitals should do more to facilitate the first skin-to-skin contact, said Milena Dyankova of the Parents for Parents Association.
The NGO wants the Health Ministry to have this form of contact between the mom and her newborn included in the obstetrics and gynecology medical standards.