October 2025 — A newly updated Cochrane Review provides clear and compelling evidence that immediate skin-to-skin contact between mothers and newborns offers significant health benefits and should be recognized as the global standard of care.
The findings reinforce what many midwives, birth professionals, and physiologic birth advocates have long understood: that a baby’s first moments should unfold in close contact with the mother, uninterrupted and supported.
The Cochrane review analyzed 69 clinical trials involving more than 7,000 mother–infant pairs. The data demonstrate that newborns who experience skin-to-skin contact within the first hour of life are more likely to:
Breastfeed exclusively during the first six months of life
Maintain healthy body temperature and blood sugar levels
Stabilize more effectively in breathing and heart rate
The analysis found that approximately 75% of babies receiving early skin-to-skin contact were exclusively breastfeeding at one month, compared to 55% among those who were separated. These benefits extend beyond immediate adaptation, influencing long-term breastfeeding success and maternal–infant bonding.
The review’s authors emphasize that the scientific consensus is now so strong that conducting new randomized trials that separate mothers and babies after birth is no longer ethical.
“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” notes Dr. Karin Cadwell, senior author of the review and Executive Director of the Healthy Children Project’s Center for Breastfeeding.
Lead author Elizabeth Moore, formerly of Vanderbilt University’s School of Nursing, adds that even in countries with advanced maternity care systems, unnecessary separation of mothers and babies remains common for routine procedures such as weighing and examination.
The updated findings build upon the 2016 Cochrane review, which informed more than 20 international guidelines, including the World Health Organization’s recommendation that immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact be standard practice following birth.
At Waterbirth International, these findings reinforce a central tenet of our work: that the moments immediately after birth are physiologic and sacred. Whether a baby is born in water, in a birth center, or in a hospital, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact supports optimal transition, bonding, and stability.
Founder Barbara Harper, RN, DEM, BHE, has long emphasized that the simplest interventions—such as warmth, quiet, and connection—carry the most profound impact on newborn adaptation and maternal well-being.
Despite the strength of the evidence, many healthcare systems still interrupt or delay skin-to-skin contact. The challenge now lies not in proving its benefits, but in ensuring its universal implementation.
As this latest review concludes, the focus must shift from study to action: integrating immediate skin-to-skin care into every setting where birth occurs, and ensuring that both policy and training reflect the science.
Read the full Cochrane Review:
Strong evidence supports skin-to-skin contact after birth as standard care
References:
Moore, E. et al. (2025). Immediate skin-to-skin contact for the healthy newborn infant after birth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 10.
World Health Organization. (2018). Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience.
Ludington-Hoe, S. M., et al. (2006). Skin-to-skin contact for full-term infants after birth. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 35(6), 691–702.