Salivary Cortisol and Mood and Pain Profiles During Skin-to-Skin Care for an Unselected Group of Mothers and Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care

Our results lend additional support to the value of skin-to-skin care in neonatal intensive care. Variable stress responses in preterm infants favor the need for individualized care. The mothers' need for support seem to be more pronounced in the first skin-to-skin session as our results show a higher degree of stress as compared with later skin-to-skin care.