Both parents and staff testify to the positive effects, and curious colleagues from all over the country come here on study visits to learn more.

Many times we believe that technology or the latest equipment provides the best care. But the mother's chest is often the most important for the child to develop optimally, says Jennika Pettersson, process manager in Region Gävleborg. 

"Zero separation" is the goal

Jennika Pettersson has been one of the project leaders for the project "Newborn united family" which took place between the years 2016 and 2022 at the hospitals in Gävle and Hudiksvall. The goal has been to develop new ways of working to completely avoid separation between the premature or full-term baby and the mother after the moment of birth. Even if one of them is sick and needs care. The working method is called "zero separation" and is based on research and proven experience.

- The first moment in life is critical for the newborn child and therefore one should strive to keep the child together with the mother and the family as far as possible, even if the child is born seriously ill, says Anna Styf, director of operations for child and youth healthcare.

Worse recovery with old way of working

In the past, it was most common for the mother and child to be cared for in different departments if one of them was ill. The child was often put in an incubator to get warmth and moisture, but was also deprived of the mother's closeness. It could therefore take several days before they were reunited after the birth. Today there is a lot of research that shows that an early separation can be harmful, says Nils Ludwig, also project leader in the project and senior physician in women's health care at Hudiksvall hospital.