Skin to Skin Contact

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to assess temperature stability in newborns undergoing early intraoperative skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after elective cesarean birth. METHOD: This feasibility study examined electronic medical record data of 91 mother-baby dyads who participated in early intraoperative SSC after an elective cesarean birth. Infant axillary temperatures were obtained just before initiation and upon completion of intraoperative SSC. RESULTS: The mean age of women in this sample was 35 (SD, 4.2) years. They were an average of 39 4/7 weeks gestation, and largely Caucasian 55% (n = 50) and Asian 30 (33%). Fifty-eight percent (n = 53) of infants were male, weighing an average of 3,566 g (SD, 401.83). Nineteen (21%) of infants demonstrated no temperature change pre to post SSC, with an increase noted in 32 (35%) infants, and a decrease in 40 (44%). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings provide support for continued intraoperative SSC. Areas for improvement were also identified, for example, missing medical record data.