Effect of Skin-to-Skin Contact between Mothers and Newborns at Birth on Temperature, Oxygen Saturation, and Initiation of Breast Feeding

Farouk Abolwafa, Nagat; Boshra Shehata, Heba; Mohammed Ali, Howayda

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2022.264766

Effect of Skin-to-Skin Contact between Mothers and Newborns at Birth on Temperature, Oxygen Saturation, and Initiation of Breast Feeding

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Minia Universities, Egypt

² Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, South Valley University, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Minia Universities, Egypt

10.21608/ejhc.2022.264766

Abstract

Background: Immediately after birth, the newborn should be placed in Skin-to-Skin Contact
(SSC) with their mothers for at least an hour, and mothers should be assisted to initiate
breastfeeding their newborns within the first half-hour. Objective is to explore the effect of skin-to
skin contact between mothers and newborns at birth on temperature, oxygen saturation, and
initiation of breast feeding. Method: A quasi-experimental design was utilized on the current study.
Sample and setting: 300 mothers and their newborns were included as purposive sample in the
delivery room at Minia University Hospital for Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Minia General
Hospital. They divided randomly into two groups 150 for skin-to-skin contact (the study group) and
150 for the routine care (the control group). Tools: Data collection requires only one tool including
four parts formed up a structured interview questionnaire: Part (1), assessed the personal and
obstetric data of the mothers' Part (2) assessed the newborns data. Part (3) assessed the newborns
auxiliary temperature, oxygen saturation, time of initiating breast feeding and duration of the first
breast fed lastly Part (4) assessed the LATCH breastfeeding assessment tool.Results: There was
increase in axillary temperature stability, increase oxygen saturation SO2 more than 90% among
newborns after birth, decreasing mean time to initiate breast feeding and increasing mean duration
of the first breast fed among the skin-to-skin contact group than the routine care group. Conclusion:
early skin-to-skin contact immediately after newborns birth led to auxiliary temperature
stabilization, increase oxygen saturation more than 90%, early successful initiation of breast feeding
and increasing the duration of the first breastfed.Recommendations: Continuous educational and
training program concerning benefits and practice of SSC among health personnel is necessary. All
stable newborns born at term via normal delivery should practice skin-to-skin contact soon after
birth for at least the first primary hours of life with continual observation of mothers and newborns
during early SSC.

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