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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Aug;111(8):1507-1514.
doi: 10.1111/apa.16371. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Immediate skin-to-skin contact may have beneficial effects on the cardiorespiratory stabilisation in very preterm infants

Agnes Linnér  1   2 , Karoline Lode Kolz  3   4   5 , Stina Klemming  2 , Nils Bergman  1 , Siri Lilliesköld  1   2 , Hanne Markhus Pike  3 , Björn Westrup  1 , Siren Rettedal  3   4 , Wibke Jonas  1   6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Immediate skin-to-skin contact may have beneficial effects on the cardiorespiratory stabilisation in very preterm infants

Agnes Linnér et al. Acta Paediatr. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Aim: Our aim was to investigate what effect immediate skin-to-skin contact with a parent had on the cardiorespiratory stabilisation of very preterm infants.

Methods: This randomised clinical trial was conducted during 2018-2021 at two university hospitals with three neonatal intensive care units in Norway and Sweden. Infants born from 28+0 to 32+6 weeks of gestation were randomised to immediate skin-to-skin contact with a parent for the first six postnatal hours or standard incubator care. The outcome was a composite cardiorespiratory stability score, based on serial measures of heart and respiratory rate, respiratory support, fraction of inspired oxygen and oxygen saturation.

Results: We recruited 91 newborn infants with a mean gestational age of 31+1 (range 28+4-32+6) weeks and mean birth weight of 1534 (range 555-2440) g: 46 received immediate skin-to-skin contact and 45 received incubator care. The group who received skin-to-skin contact had an adjusted mean score of 0.52 higher (95% confidence interval 0.38-0.67, p < 0.001) on a scale from zero to six when compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Immediate skin-to-skin contact for the first six postnatal hours had beneficial effects on the cardiorespiratory stabilisation of very preterm infants.

Keywords: cardiorespiratory stabilisation; kangaroo mother care; neonatal intensive care unit; preterm infant; skin-to-skin contact.

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References

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