What is the primary method for minimizing heat loss in newborns through skin-to-skin contact?

Skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, is a crucial practice in neonatal care to minimize heat loss in newborns, particularly through conduction. When a newborn is held against a parent's skin, the direct contact allows for the transfer of heat from the warmer skin of the parent to the cooler skin of the infant, thereby stabilizing the infant’s body temperature.

Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between materials. In the case of newborns, they are particularly vulnerable to heat loss because of their high surface area-to-volume ratio and immature thermoregulatory systems, making them less effective at retaining body heat. Therefore, maintaining skin-to-skin contact effectively minimizes this potential for heat loss.

While convection (heat loss due to air movement), radiation (heat transfer to cooler objects without contact), and evaporation (heat loss due to moisture changing to vapor) are also relevant to thermoregulation, they are not predominantly mitigated by skin-to-skin contact. The primary mechanism at play in this scenario is conduction, where the warmth of the parent's body directly influences and warms the newborn.