Mother's first embrace can be the gift of life

By the time you finish reading this article, a newborn infant will have died somewhere in the Western Pacific Region. This death, like many others, might have easily been prevented, and at minimal cost, through a package of simple, low-cost interventions starting with the first embrace - the simple act of ensuring skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby immediately after birth.

It sounds almost too good to be true. But there is compelling evidence that shows, a mother's first embrace, the sustained skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby straight after birth - the first step in early essential newborn care - can make the difference between life and death. This is the focus of a new online campaign, "First Embrace", the World Health Organization is launching in China this week.

When a newborn baby comes out of the womb, he or she is extremely vulnerable - immediately at risk, for example, from cold (hypothermia) and a host of harmful bacteria in the delivery room. Yet, contrary to the natural maternal instinct, the baby is often taken away from the mother right after birth, so that healthcare professionals can examine the baby and perform other important tasks. Of course, such care is incredibly important, but often the importance of sequence is misunderstood.