Dads who spend time touching, talking to, and looking at their premature babies during feeding feel much less anxious after six months than dads who don’t.

When parents gently touch, talk to, and look at their premature babies during feeding for six months, it helps both moms and dads feel much less anxious and stressed out.

Even though parents felt less anxious after doing sensory activities with their preemie, they didn’t feel significantly more connected to their baby or more confident as parents after six months.

When parents use touch, voice, eye contact, smell, and feeding to connect with their preemie at home for six months, their anxiety and depression stay lower for the whole six months.