Skin to Skin Contact

To determine the effects of skin-to-skin contact at birth on birth outcomes (placental delivery time, postpartum pain level, time of first breastfeeding, and breastfeeding motivation) and on postpartum parenting behavior.

This observational study aims to compare mean arterial pressure measurements obtained using an ankle blood pressure cuff with those obtained using a standard upper-arm cuff in pregnant individuals undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. The primary objective is to determine the level of agreement between the two measurement sites.The main question\[s\] it aims to answer \[is/are\]: Demonstrate that the mean arterial pressure is similar between arm and ankle with the blood pressure cuff Every participant will be their own control. (Measurements will be taken at both sites on every participant)

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effect of consecutive skin-to-skin contact applied by the mother and father on breastfeeding parameters and parent-infant bonding in babies born by cesarean section. The study includes two groups: an intervention group receiving consecutive skin-to-skin contact by the father followed by the mother, and a control group receiving routine postnatal care. Breastfeeding success and parental bonding will be assessed using validated measurement tools during the early postnatal period and follow-up.

The rate of cesarean birth continues to increase in the world and in our country. As with all surgeries, the risks of cesarean birth include the possibility of bleeding and infection, prolonged recovery time after birth, delays in initiating breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact (SSC), and increased likelihood of complications in future pregnancies. While many hospitals apply SSC after normal births, it is known that the number of hospitals that apply SSC in the operating room after cesarean birth is very few. Factors that prevent the initiation of SSC after cesarean birth include the effect of the current operating room culture, the physiological evaluation process of the baby after birth, the presence of procedures such as measuring body weight, aspiration, and Apgar score evaluation. Since the mother and baby are separated after cesarean birth, the mother's initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of life may be delayed, and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding may be shortened. The 90-minute uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact during which the baby is dried and placed directly on the mother's bare chest after birth maximizes the chance that babies are physically ready to breastfeed. Although there are studies showing the benefits of SSC application in the operating room such as breastfeeding rates, maintaining the body temperature of the newborn, reducing maternal stress levels, and increasing oxytocin levels, a limited number of studies have been reached in the literature using SSC application guidelines developed to ensure the sustainability of SSC application in the operating room, post-op care unit, and obstetrics clinic. The first contribution of this planned study to the literature will be to standardize SSC application with SSC checklists prepared for use in the cesarean operation room, post-op care unit, and obstetrics ward based on SSC application guidelines. As a second contribution, considering the conditions of the health institution where the study will be conducted, the effects of starting SSC as early as possible and applying it in the cesarean operation room, post-op care unit, and obstetrics ward on the stress level of newborns, sucking success, and pain and salivary cortisol (stress) levels of mothers will be evaluated.

This is a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial study to investigate short- and long-term effects of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact in healthy term infants, in order to provide supporting data for emphasizing mother-infant skin contact and family-centered care in South Korea.

A 2016 Cochrane Review shows that skin-to-skin contact promotes breastfeeding and strengthens mother-infant bonding. For the mother, skin-to-skin contact was found to promote early separation of the placenta, reduce postpartum haemorrhage, increase breastfeeding self-efficacy, reduce stress levels and promote oxytocin release. For the infant, it has been revealed that it provides important benefits such as decreased postnatal stress, improved thermoregulation, shortened crying time and increased breastfeeding success. In line with this information, it is hypothesised that Galvanic Skin Response can be used to objectively evaluate the psychological and mental effects of early skin-to-skin contact on the mother and newborn after birth. The findings of this study will contribute to clinical practice by providing scientific evidence for neonatal care.

This study is a multi-center, prospective pre-post clinical study conducted under the leadership of the Turkish Neonatal Society. It aims to investigate the effects of a standardized skin-to-skin care in NICU, initiated early and applied regularly, on recieving exclusive mothers' milk at discharge and clinical outcomes for preterm infants born ≤ 32 weeks of gestation. 1. Primary Objective: To evaluate the rate of receiving exclusive mothers' milk at discharge for infants born ≤ 32 weeks of gestation who have received skin-to-skin care in accordance with the study protocol. 2. Secondary Objective: To evaluate the rates of neonatal sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis (stage 2 and above) as well as the length of hospital stay for infants born at or below 32 weeks of gestation who have received skin-to-skin care in accordance with the study protocol.