1 Department of Psychology, and Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2 Department of Psychology, and Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: dale.stack@concordia.ca.
3 Pediatric Unit, Fatebenefratelli Sacra Famiglia Hospital, Erba (Como), Italy(1).
4 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lecco), Italy.
5 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lecco), Italy. Electronic address: rosario.montirosso@lanostrafamiglia.it.

Mothers' and fathers' touch were investigated during their first naturalistic interaction with their newborns, and maternal touch was predicted from newborn to 3-months postpartum during the Still-Face (SF) procedure. Both parents displayed more nurturing types of touch when interacting with their infants for the first time. Maternal touch at newborn predicted maternal touch after, but not before, the SF 3-months later; more touch after birth was associated with more soothing, regulating, types of maternal touch following the SF, suggesting that the nature of these interactive contexts (post-birth, post-SF) may be parallel. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the full range of maternal and paternal touching behaviors during the first hour after birth. It is also one of the only investigations that considers how mothers' very first touch and physical contact relate to their later touch at 3-months. Our results uniquely contribute by revealing the nurturing and predictive quality of parents' touch, and underscore touch as a primary means of early contact and communication.