PROMOTING SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT THROUGH BEST-PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS

Abstract

Purpose: To develop evidence-based best practice recommendations for healthcare professionals and parents to empower them to safely initiate skin-to-skin contact (SSC) within the first hour following birth. Background: Skin-to-skin contact is recognized as a safe practice and intervention that promotes infants’ overall health and development while improving parental attachment as the newborn transitions to extrauterine life. Approach to practice: The best practice recommendations are based on a literature review conducted through a search on PubMed with the following keywords: Skin-to-skin care, kangaroo care, mother-infant interaction, kangaroo-mother care, baby-friendly hospital setting, and golden hour. The literature review includes fifteen articles published from 2014 to 2020. Outcomes: The proposed best practice recommendations are for healthcare professionals to reference when determining how to facilitate safe skin-to-skin contact following the first hour of birth. Conclusions: SSC allows for familial attachments through the initiation of oxytocin and reduction of cortisol; it also contributes to thermoregulation, the building of a healthy microbiome, and the successful initiation of breastfeeding. This thesis has created best practice recommendations based on current evidence as well as includes a proposed implementation and evaluation of the recommendations to help healthcare professionals recognize their responsibility in protecting and honoring this meaningful experience.