Skin-to-Skin Contact After Cesarean Delivery: An Experimental Study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after vaginal delivery has been shown. After cesarean births, SSC is not done for practical and medical safety reasons because it is believed that infants may suffer mild hypothermia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare mothers' and newborns' temperatures after cesarean delivery when SSC was practiced (naked baby except for a small diaper, covered with a blanket, prone on the mother's chest) with those when routine care was practiced (dressed, in the bassinet or in the mother's bed) in the 2 hours beginning when the mother returned from the operating room. METHODS: An experimental, noninferiority adaptive trial was designed with four levels of analysis: 34 pairs of mothers and newborns, after elective cesarean delivery, were randomized to SSC (n = 17) or routine care (n = 17). Temporal artery temperature was taken with an infrared ray thermometer at half-hour intervals. RESULTS: Compared with newborns who received routine care, SSC cesarean-delivered newborns were not at risk for hypothermia. The mean temperatures of both groups were almost identical: after 30 min, 36.1 degrees C for both groups (+/-0.4 degrees C for SSCs and +/-0.5 degrees C for the controls), and after 120 min, 36.2 degrees C +/- 0.3 degrees C for SSCs versus 36.4 degrees C +/- 0.7 degrees C for the controls (no significant differences). Time from delivery to the mothers' return to their room was 51 +/- 10 min. The SSC newborns attached to the breast earlier (nine SSC newborns and four controls after 30 min) were breast-fed (exclusively or prevalently) at discharge (13 SSCs and 11 controls) and at 3 months (11 SSCs and 8 controls), and the SSC mothers expressed high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. DISCUSSION: Cesarean-delivered newborns who experienced SSC within 1 hour of delivery are not at risk for hypothermia.
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Early skin-to-skin contact in the operating room and during recovery can be used as an intervention to increase the success of breastfeeding initiation in healthy infants after cesarean birth.
“early skin-to-skin contact in the operating room and during recovery can be used as an intervention to increase the success of breastfeeding initiation in healthy infants after cesarean birth.8,46”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
Gouchon and colleagues reported that more infants born via skin-to-skin cesarean delivery than those born via routine cesarean delivery attached to the breast at 30 minutes (9 v. 4), and were breastfeeding at discharge (13 v. 11) and 3 months (11 v. 8).
“Gouchon and colleagues46 reported that more infants born via skin-to-skin cesarean delivery than those born via routine cesarean delivery attached to the breast at 30 minutes (9 v. 4), and were breastfeeding at discharge (13 v. 11) and 3 months (11 v. 8).”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
Women who gave birth by skin-to-skin cesarean delivery expressed high levels of satisfaction with this intervention.
“Women who gave birth by skin-to-skin cesarean delivery expressed high levels of satisfaction with this intervention.46”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
The 4 predominant themes that emerged were consistent with those in previous studies exploring the role of skin-to-skin cesarean birth, which also showed positive outcomes.
“the 4 predominant themes that emerged were consistent with those in previous studies exploring the role of skin-to-skin cesarean birth, which also showed positive outcomes.8,46,47”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
The existing literature on practice change shows that transformations to skin-to-skin cesarean birth are possible.
“Nonetheless, the existing literature on practice change shows that such transformations are possible.23,46”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
Gouchon and colleagues found that infants born via skin-to-skin cesarean delivery were not at risk for hypothermia.
“They found that infants born via skin-to-skin cesarean delivery were not at risk for hypothermia.”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [46]
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Machold, C. A., O’Rinn, S. E., McKellin, W. H., Ballantyne, G., & Barrett, J. F. R. (2021) · CMAJ Open · doi:10.9778/cmajo.20200079 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gouchon, S., Gregori, D., Picotto, A., Patrucco, G., Nangeroni, M., & Di Giulio, P.
- Affiliations
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria delle Marche (IT)
- Venue
- Nursing Research
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 78-84
- ISSN
- 0029-6562 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2017010667
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 7.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nursing Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
- Keywords
- skin-to-skin contact, cesarean section, neonatal hypothermia, newborn body temperature, maternal satisfaction, breastfeeding initiation, postpartum care, neonatal thermoregulation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Breast Feeding, Cesarean Section, Female, Humans, Hypothermia, Infant Care, Infant, Newborn, Mother-Child Relations, Postnatal Care, Pregnancy, Skin Temperature, Postpartum Period, Young Adult
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