Evidence supporting skin‐to‐skin contact and breastfeeding soon after birth points to physiologic, social, and psychological benefits for both mother and baby. While in immediate, continuous, uninterrupted skin‐to‐skin contact with mother in the first hour after birth, babies progress through nine instinctive, complex, distinct, and observable stages, including self‐attachment and suckling. However, the most recent Cochrane review of early skin‐to‐skin contact cites inconsistencies in the practice.

In this article, Kajsa Brimdyr and Karin Cadwell introduce a novel algorithm to analyse the practice of skin-to-skin in the first hour using two data sets. By the utilizing data in a new way to highlight challenges to best practice, the algorithm suggests opportunities for improvement to achieve the standard of care for babies.

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