A low-cost intervention to promote immediate skin-to-skin contact and improve temperature regulation in Northern Uganda
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Date
2019
Authors
Nissen, Eva
Svensson, Kristin
Mbalinda, Scovia
Brimdy, Kajsa
Waiswa, Peter
Mpora Odongkara, Beatrice
Hjelmstedt, Anna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
Abstract
Uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and newborns
during the first hour after birth has been reported to be 2% in Uganda.
Aims To investigate if a low-cost intervention targeting the behaviors of hospital staff
would increase skin-to-skin contact and to investigate whether skin-to-skin contact
stabilized temperature in the newborn.
Methods The study had a quasi-experimental, before and after design. The sample
included 110 in the pre-intervention group, and 93 in the post-intervention group.
Data collection included observations of skin-to-skin contact and temperature
measurements. Data were also collected from medical records and interviews.
Findings No infants had skin-to-skin contact before the intervention, whereas the
proportion was 54.8% after the intervention. Infants who received skin-to-skin contact
(n=51) and infants who did not receive skin-to-skin contact (n=146) increased in
temperature; however, infants who received skin-to-skin contact were significantly
warmer after 5 minutes and remained so at 60 minutes.
Conclusions The intervention increased the practice of skin-to-skin contact, which
was found to be safe in regard to temperature stabilization.
Description
Keywords
Low-cost intervention, Newborn temperature, Observation, Skin-to-skin contact
Citation
Nissen, E., Svensson, K., Mbalinda, S., Brimdyr, K., Waiswa, P., Odongkara, B. M., & Hjelmstedt, A. (2019). A low-cost intervention to promote immediate skin-to-skin contact and improve temperature regulation in Northern Uganda. African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 13(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.12968/ajmw.2018.0037