The importance of human touch - Premature baby reaches out to nurse in most amazing way

'I was changing her diaper and she just held on to my hand.'

A baby girl was born at only 26-weeks gestation and weighed less than a pound.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - She was admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in a U.S. hospital with hands so small, it was measured at around 2 cm from her little finger to her thumb.

A nurse who went in to change the girl's diaper was startled when the child reached up and grabbed her wrist.

She was so touched by the tiny girl, desperate for human interaction, that she snapped a picture and shared it to an app where medical staff around the world can share images and ask one another for opinions.

"I was changing her diaper and she just held on to my hand," the nurse wrote to the app. "I had to stop and just let her. Human touch is so important."

The image was captured prior to the introduction of new rules, requiring staff to wear gloves during diaper changes and temperature checks, to prevent infection.

"It makes me sad," the nurse explained, "because they really do need human touch."

Several hospitals around the world are reporting healthier babies when they come into contact with human touch. Some have even encouraged mothers to hold their newly born children to their chests to promote health and well-being to both mother and child.

This contact, sometimes called "Kangaroo Care," is believed to help babies adapt to the temperature change, boost mental development, promotes healthy weight and makes breastfeeding easier.

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