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Geneva (dpa) - Strict corona rules in maternity wards can have fatal consequences for premature babies.
Because of the pandemic, vital physical contact between parents and their babies will be restricted in many countries, warns the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva.
The medical benefit of cuddling is far greater than the risk of infection, argues the UN agency in a research report published on Tuesday.
The kangaroo method is usually recommended for premature babies and lightweight newborns, in which the child is placed on the mother's or father's bare torso for as many hours a day as possible.
In addition, the children should receive breast milk.
According to the WHO, the risk of death for these babies can be reduced by up to 40 percent.
A model calculation led by the WHO came to the conclusion that the risk of death from suspending these measures is at least 65 times higher than the risk of children getting a fatal corona infection through contact.
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An international survey of nurses and doctors shows that the pandemic has led to restrictions, in which two-thirds of 1,120 respondents stated that if the corona test was positive or the status was unclear, they would separate mothers from their babies after birth.
German specialist societies for obstetrics like the WHO speak out against a spatial separation of infected mothers and newborns.
WHO expert Ornella Lincetto said at a press conference that fathers in Germany will not be allowed as much time for kangaroo contact during the pandemic.
Cuddling not only increases the chances of survival for premature babies, "it also reduces the parents' corona stress," she emphasized.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210316-99-838348 / 3
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