Skin to Skin and Breastfeeding

Success
Molly Gleason
IRB Meeting
Methodist College
May 23, 2018
Introduction
● According to the CDC, the early postpartum period immediately after birth is a crucial time for establishing breastfeeding

● The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six months of life

● A goal of HealthyPeople 2020 is to “increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed”

● In order to meet these goals and improve these rates, breastfeeding must be supported and well established during the

postpartum period

● The “golden hour” refers to the first sixty minutes immediately following birth

● Past research supports that uninterrupted contact during this golden hour has a number of health benefits, including mother-

baby bonding and breastfeeding initiation

● This study will explore how one intervention, immediate skin to skin contact after delivery, improves breastfeeding success rates

at hospital discharge
 Skin to Skin

During skin-to-skin contact, the baby is

naked with a hat on and is placed on
the mother’s bare chest, between her
breasts. A blanket should be draped
over both of them for warmth.
 Breastfeeding

Many mothers find that latching their babies is

easier when they are held skin-to-skin. Holding the
baby skin-to-skin helps the body make more milk.
Statement of the Problem
● Low breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge

per the CDC Breastfeeding Report Card

● Routine hospital care immediately following

delivery can separate the mother and infant

during a time where breastfeeding initiation

is crucial to immediate and long term success

Purpose of the Study

● The purpose of this study is to

determine whether skin to skin

improves breastfeeding success at

hospital discharge
Research Question
● In newborns, what is the effect of 60 minutes of immediate mother-infant skin to skin contact on

breastfeeding success rates at hospital discharge when compared with no skin to skin contact?
Design Study
● The data will be collected via chart review

○ 25 charts will be reviewed to determine

■ 1. Mother’s feeding method of choice

■ 2. If skin to skin was performed for the first 60 minutes of life

■ 3. If the infant was breastfed exclusively

● Separates participants into two groups: the experimental group (mother-infant skin to skin contact) and a control group (no skin

to skin contact)

● Compares 60 minutes of immediate skin to skin contact after delivery with no skin to skin contact immediately after delivery

(whether this is taking the infant to the radiant warmer, swaddling, or held by other individuals)

● Timeframe: June 2018 - August 2018

● Facility: UnityPoint Health Methodist in Peoria, Il

Sampling
● Convenience sampling

● 25 healthy, full-term, mothers

● Inclusion Criteria

○ Mother’s goal of exclusive breastfeeding until at least hospital discharge

● Exclusion Criteria

■ Preterm infants

■ Mothers whose pre-delivery intention is to feed formula while in the hospital

Discussion/Conclusion

● The reviewed research indicates that skin to skin contact improves breastfeeding
success, and this must be implemented into nursing practice
● This meaningful evidence must be implemented into practice and policies within all
hospital institutions
● Education must be provided for patients, staff, and providers on this intervention in
order to be successfully carried out after deliveries
● Immediate skin to skin following delivery should be the gold standard of care for all
mothers and infants
 References
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Altuntas Nilgun, Turkyilmaz Canan, Yildiz Havva, Kulali Ferit, Hirfanoglu Ibrahim, Onal Esra, Ergenekon Ebru, Koç Esin, and Atalay Yıldız. Breastfeeding Medicine. May

2014, 9(4): 191-195. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2014.0018

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