Holding the very low birth weight infant: skin-to-skin techniques.

Skin-to-skin holding has been reported as a valuable intervention for preterm infants for over a decade. However, many neonatal intensive care units are not practicing this therapy and cite lack of protocols and techniques as a barrier. This article describes in detail the nursing considerations and techniques involved to successfully implement skin-to-skin holding for very low birth weight, technology-dependent infants. NICU protocols can be derived from this article.