The World Health Organization has released a set of recommendations to improve survival and health outcomes for babies born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or small (under 2.5 kg at birth). In the statement, the global agency dubbed the skin-to-skin contact with a caregiver "Kangaroo Mother Care" and advised that it should start immediately after birth, without any initial period in an incubator.

According to the WHO, kangaroo mother care is a feasible and cost-effective measure. They explained that by combining skin-to-skin contact in a special sling or wrap for as many hours as possible with a primary caregiver, the mother can usually help regulate the babies′ body temperature. Similarly, it can reduce infections and breathing trouble and improve feeding.

The guidelines were released to mark the occasion of World Prematurity Day, observed on November 17 every year. In the statement, the agency added that prematurity is an urgent public health issue. Every year, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm, amounting to more than 1 in 10 of all births globally. Prematurity is now the leading cause of death for children under the age of five, with a significant increase in the number.

The other recommendation included guidelines to ensure emotional, financial, and workplace support for families of very small and preterm babies. The guidelines noted that families with preterm babies face extraordinary stress and hardship because of intensive caregiving demands and anxieties around their babies’ health. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/world/who-advises-immediate-skin-to-skin-contact-for-babies-born-prematurely/1218598/ )