Sharon Butler gave birth to her twins six weeks early. As a result, Declan Petter and Carolyn Margaret were relegated to the Neonatal Infant Care Unit to ensure that they would be able to go home with Mom and Dad, happy and healthy.
What's interesting is that the hospital's new form of child care is something that's as old as time: kangaroo care.
Even with their newborns attached to heart monitors and respirators, both Mom and Dad were encouraged to use skin-to-skin contact. And Sharon noticed a huge difference in her babies' demeanor when she held them.
“I have to tell you, it’s the most amazing feeling, and the babies are so calm as soon as you do it,” Sharon told CBS's Dr. Max Gomez.
According to the segment, the journal Pediatrics analyzed 124 studies and concluded that kangaroo care can help regulate breathing, body temperature, heart rate, and low birthrate in premature babies. It also somehow reduced infections and reduced SIDS amongst newborns.
In the video below, you can see Sharon and father, Dave, holding the twins. They notice the skin-to-skin contact working.
“Very calming, you look a the monitor, her heart rate went down,” Dave said. “You just feel the bond between the two of us.”
There you have it: The bond between parent and child can be both spiritual and scientific!
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