APPPAH ADVOCATES...

2010 PUBLIC EDUCATION PROJECT

                                 "Welcome Your Baby In – With 60 Minutes, Skin-to-Skin"

APPPAH recognizes that all phases of prenatal and perinatal life offer immense opportunity for greater health and well-being. This year we’ve chosen to focus public attention on the critical first 60 minutes after a baby is born.

Research has proven that by maintaining skin-to-skin contact between newborn and mother – for as long as possible – immediately after birth provides great stress relief to both mother and child. This stress relief shows up in various ways:

·    Improved sleep for the child

·    Improved digestion for the child

·    Better post-partum results for the mother

·    Improved bonding over the longer term between mother and child

·    Improved first year results in the child’s development

The breakthrough report of Dr. Marshall Klaus at the 2009 APPPAH International Congress cited conclusive new evidence for the long-term benefits of immediate skin-to-skin contact of mothers and babies after delivery. This study fromSt. Petersburg, Russia coupled with years of data showing the positive outcomes of "Kangaroo" Mother Care, prompted APPPAH's Communications Committee to design an educational campaign to promote the great value of skin-to-skin practices in the hospital delivery environment today.

Along with advocating for a practice that will provide extraordinary benefit to mothers and babies, the committee felt the campaign would be a natural extension of APPPAH’s mission to a wider and wider audience.

We are now in the process of envisioning how to promote the "skin-to-skin" theme through various channels and projects such as:

·    Information on this website about the research on skin-to-skin practices;

·    Training programs with CEUs for midwives, nurses, obstetricians and others

·    News of workshops available at Conferences

·    Online courses, podcasts, or webinars on this website

·    Perhaps creating units to "piggy-back" in other training programs

·    Seeking Grants to support communication of the message and training programs

·    Identifying and honoring hospitals or birth professionals for their "skin to skin" protocols

·    Extension of this theme into birth-trauma resolution programs

·    And more…

We invite your participation!

To become involved, please contact Jill Chasse or Rochele Hirsch, Co-chairs of the Communications and Development Committee.

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