Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Sep;46(9):1168-80.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.03.005. Epub 2009 Apr 10.

Effect of early skin-to-skin contact on mother-preterm infant interaction through 18 months: randomized controlled trial

Sheau-Huey Chiu  1 , Gene Cranston Anderson
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of early skin-to-skin contact on mother-preterm infant interaction through 18 months: randomized controlled trial

Sheau-Huey Chiu et al. Int J Nurs Stud. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth often negatively influences mother-infant interaction. Skin-to-skin contact postbirth has positive effects on maternal feelings toward their preterm infants and on infant development and family interaction. However, little is known about the long-term effects of skin-to-skin contact on mother-late preterm infant interaction when skin-to-skin contact was experienced early postbirth and intermittently throughout the next five days.

Objective: The purpose of this report was to examine the effect of skin-to-skin contact on mother-late preterm infant interaction through 18 months.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with follow-up.

Setting: Two hospitals in the United States of America.

Participants: 100 mothers and their late preterm infants, 32 to <37 weeks' gestation, were recruited. Mother-preterm infant interactions were assessed in 69, 70, and 76 dyads at 6, 12, and 18 months.

Methods: Mothers and their preterm infants were videotaped during a feeding session at 6 and 12 months, and a teaching session at 6, 12, and 18 months. Their interactions were then scored using the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Feeding Scale and Teaching Scale.

Results: Skin-to-skin contact and control dyads had comparable feeding scores at 6 and 12 months. Skin-to-skin contact infants had lower infant teaching scores at six months, a difference that disappeared thereafter.

Conclusions: These inconclusive results call for additional studies with larger doses of skin-to-skin contact, larger sample sizes, and other outcome measures of mother-late preterm infant interactions. Such measures include the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment and behavioral coding during play.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT diagram of all possible and actual dyads returned for mother-preterm infant interaction (MPI) assessment at follow-up. aDyads who discontinued their in-hospital participation agreed to participate during follow-up. D/C = discharge.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Affonso DD, Bosque E, Wahlberg V, Brady JP. Reconciliation and healing for mothers through skin-to-skin contact provided in an American tertiary level intensive care nursery. Neonatal Network. 1993;12(3):25–32. - PubMed
    1. Affonso DD, Hurst L, Mayberry LJ, Haller L, Yost K, Lynch MI. Stressors reported by mothers of hospitalized premature infants. Neonatal Network. 1992;11(6):63–70. - PubMed
    1. Affonso DD, Wahlberg V, Persson B. Exploration of mothers’ reactions to the kangaroo method of prematurity care. Neonatal Network. 1989;7(6):43–51. - PubMed
    1. Anderson GC. Unpublished masters thesis. Madison: University of Wisconsin; 1972. Self-regulatory mother-infant interaction deprivation: A theoretical framework.
    1. Anderson GC. The mother and her newborn: Mutual caregivers. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 1977;6(5):50–57. - PubMed

Publication types