Background: Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) compared to separation at birth has a positive effect on breastfeeding. However, separation at birth is common with negative impact on breastfeeding. The aim was to determine the effect of immediate SSC compared to early SSC on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding.
Methods: A randomized multicentre parallel clinical trial was conducted in two hospitals in Cundinamarca (Colombia) between November 2018 and January 2020. Low-risk full term newborns at birth were included. Neonates were assigned to immediate (in the first minute after birth) or early onset (start exactly at 60 min of life) skin to skin contact. Monthly follow-up was performed until 6 months of age. The primary outcome was the percentage of exclusively breastfed infants at 6 months (time in months with human milk as the only source of food). Secondary outcomes were the percentage of infants with exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months, duration in months of exclusive breastfeeding, neonate's breastfeeding ability, percentage of weight change between birth and the first week of life and hospitalization in the neonatal unit in the first week. A bivariate analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. A survival analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the onset of SSC on exclusive breastfeeding duration.
Results: A total of 297 newborns were included: 49.8% (n = 148) in the immediate SSC group, and 50.2% (n = 149) in the early SSC group. The mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding in both groups was 5 months. There were no differences between the groups in the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months (relative risk [RR] 1.06, 95% CI 0.72, 1.58) or in the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98, 95% CI 0.74, 1.28).
Conclusions: The percentage of infants and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of age were the same between the two groups of SSC interventions. Given the current barriers to its implementation, the results of this study could positively impact the use of SSC at birth and standardize the intervention and improve breastfeeding indicators.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02687685 .
Keywords: Breastfeeding; Infant; Kangaroo mother care; Neonatal care; Newborn; Skin-to-skin contact.