Evidence · Systematic review or meta-analysis
Immediate or early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants.
- Allied health
- Breast milk and breastfeeding
- Delivery room and stabilisation
- Developmental care and positioning
- Family-integrated care
- Hypoglycaemia
- Medical
- Metabolic, endocrine and renal
- Nursing
- Nutrition and gastrointestinal
- Postnatal and transitional care
- Thermoregulation
- Transitional care
Summary
This updated Cochrane systematic review of 69 randomised trials (7290 mother-infant pairs) assesses immediate or early skin-to-skin contact after vaginal or caesarean birth for healthy term and late preterm infants (34 weeks' gestation or more), excluding NICU admissions. Skin-to-skin contact probably increases exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and improves infant temperature and blood glucose, and may improve cardiorespiratory stability. Effects on placental separation time and maternal blood loss were inconclusive. The authors support immediate skin-to-skin contact regardless of mode of birth and highlight the need for more rigorous research.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
- Licence:
- Open (Creative Commons)
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