The Impact of Increased Skin-to-Skin Contact with Mother in Breast Feeding Neonates on Exclusive Breast Feeding at Four Weeks and Eight Weeks Post Partum

Ruxer, Deborah J.

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Deborah J. Ruxer, RN, MS, CNM¹
Karen L. Mateer, RNC, MS, CNM¹
Mary V. Shay, RN, MSM, IBCLC¹
Melissa M. Burkhardt, RN, BSN¹
Tracy Brewer, DNP, RNC²
Barbara Seipel, RN¹
(1)The Family Birthing Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton, OH
(2)College of Nursing and Health, Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to discuss Skin to Skin contact as a potential intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to verbalize the definition of exclusive breastfeeding

Background: Breastfeeding has been recognized globally as critical to the health of newborns. Many routine hospital practices have a negative effect on exclusive breastfeeding.

Purpose: To evaluate duration of skin-to-skin contact (STS) as a nursing intervention to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding after discharge.

Study Question: Does a higher number of minutes of STS in the hospital increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at four weeks and eight weeks postpartum?

Hypothesis: Increased STS times will be positively correlated with an increased rate of exclusive breastfeeding at four weeks and eight weeks postpartum.

Study Sample: Term pregnant women who have a vaginal delivery of a well newborn, with intention to exclusively breastfeed.

Methodology: This is a descriptive correlational study, with the intervention of STS. Newborns will be placed STS with their mothers at birth for those participating in the study. Mothers will be encouraged to maintain frequent STS with their newborns while in the hospital, and will maintain a log of STS time while in the hospital. GSH Lactation Consultants will make follow-up phone calls at four weeks and eight weeks postpartum for telephone assessment of exclusive breastfeeding, using the Index of Breastfeeding Status. Projected N=75 subjects.

Results: The results will be analyzed using Pearson R Correlation. The results will be used to determine if STS is an effective nursing intervention to support and increase duration of exclusive breastfeeding.

Implications for Practice: STS for all mothers and babies would involve a practice change: instead of taking newborn infants to a warmer at birth, placing infants directly on mother’s abdomen to initiate STS at birth. This intervention has already been demonstrated to improve neurobehavioral outcomes, thermoregulation, and glucose regulation.

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