What is essential to maintain a newborn's temperature after delivery?

Maintaining a newborn's temperature after delivery is crucial because newborns are at high risk for hypothermia due to their limited ability to regulate body temperature. Drying the skin immediately after birth helps remove any moisture that can promote heat loss. This is especially important since wet skin can lead to rapid cooling.

Additionally, skin-to-skin contact with the mother—often termed "kangaroo care"—is highly effective in providing warmth to the newborn. The mother’s body naturally supplies heat, helping to maintain the newborn's core temperature, which is vital for preventing hypothermia and promoting stable vital signs. This skin-to-skin contact not only helps with thermoregulation but also supports bonding and successful breastfeeding.

Other methods like storing a baby in an incubator can be used in certain circumstances, particularly in a NICU setting, but they are not the immediate first line of defense after birth. Using cold packs or ice blankets would lead to a lower temperature, which is not appropriate for a newborn immediately after delivery. Thus, the drying of the skin and initiating skin-to-skin contact with the mother is the most effective and essential method for maintaining a newborn’s temperature immediately following birth.