Aussie mum speaks out about skin-on-skin contact after cuddling helped bring her baby son back to life
A mum who spent two hours cuddling and talking to her newborn premature baby after doctors told her he has died, has spoken about the moment he “came back to life”.
Kate and David Ogg were devastated when they were told one of their 27 weeks premature twins, Jamie, born at 27 weeks, had not survived. While his sister Emily was doing well, the parents cuddled and spoke to their tiny son for two hours before he showed signs of life.
Baby Jamie’s first gasps were explained away by doctors as a “reflex” but after mum Kate fed him a drop of breast milk on her finger, he begin to breathe more regularly.
“A short time later,” she said, “he opened his eyes. It was a miracle. Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger.”
Kate and David have talked about their experience and the importance of skin-on-skin contact for bonding with babies. This so-called “kangaroo care” can help premature babies as their mum’s body keeps them warm.
However, Jamie’s miraculous recovery is extremely unusual and sadly many babies born at this early developmental stage are just too young to survive.
