Maternal-Infant Separation During Hospitalization After Birth

Purpose and Background: The purpose of this study was to examine mother-infant separation after birth as a means to understand the “rooming-in” practices at the study facility. Rooming-in is defined as care of the mother-infant dyad with minimal separation. To obtain a Baby Friendly Hospital designation a birthing facility must provide “rooming-in” for all mother-infant dyads, unless separation is medically necessary.

Theoretical Framework: Anderson’s mother-infant mutual caregiving model (1977) was used to guide this study. This model posits that mother-infant interaction should be self-regulatory and uninterrupted directly after birth to encourage shared maternal-infant caregiving.

Method: This descriptive study took place at a Midwest academic medical center. Data were collected September, October, and November 2015. Mother-infant separation was recorded at the crib by care providers each time the infant arrived or left the mother’s room. Variables for analysis included time of each separation, number of separations, and reason for mother-infant separation. Data were entered into SPSS for analysis by the research team. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics (means), t-tests, and ANOVA.

Results: A total of 403 births occurred during this study. The mean length of maternal-infant separation in minutes cumulative throughout hospital stay for September, October, and November was 56.90, 60.53, 57.47, respectively. Additionally, mean number of separations per infant cumulative throughout the hospital stay was 0.72, 0.94, and 1.12 for each month. The two most common reasons for separation were circumcision and maternal request. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in mean length of separations or mean number of separations between male and female infants.

Conclusions and Implications: According to Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria for Facilities Seeking Baby-Friendly Designation (2010), maternal-infant separation less than 60 minutes a day provides the optimal environment for bonding and breastfeeding. On average, maternal-infant dyads participating in this study experienced separation less than 60 minutes per day. Understanding the length of separations, and reasons for separation, between mothers and infants helps the hospital reduce separation. The results of this study are directing efforts for achieving Baby Friendly Hospital designation at the study facility.