Effects of skin-to-skin care on microbiota composition

In this podcast episode, the study explores the effects of skin-to-skin care on microbiota composition in full-term infants. The researchers conducted a randomized trial, assigning dyads to either one hour of skin-to-skin care for five weeks or routine care. The study found that skin-to-skin care did not significantly impact the alpha diversity of the microbiome. However, there were differences in microbiota composition between the two groups, with the skin-to-skin care group showing a lower abundance of certain bacteria and a higher abundance of others compared to the routine care group. Additionally, the skin-to-skin care group had lower microbiota volatility and a lower microbiota age compared to the routine care group.