An Integrative Research Review on Intraoperative Skin-to-Skin with Cesarean Section and Its Impact on Neonatal Adaptation

Abstract

Skin-to-skin contact (STS) between mother and newborn has become the gold standard of care following delivery. The CDC defines skin-to-skin (STS) care as, "placing the infant directly on the mother or other caregiver in an effort to maximizes surface-to-surface contact." Benefits can include, breastfeeding initiation, stress reduction and thermoregulation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Because of this, STS is recommended by the CDC immediately following delivery when mothers and newborns are medically stable. Past research has centered on the implementation and importance of STS following vaginal delivery or in the recovery room following cesarean section. Many providers have questioned the risks of intraoperative STS for the neonate and mother in terms of temperature stability, breastfeeding, maintenance of sterility and infection prevention. Current research explores intraoperative STS for mothers experiencing a cesarean section. This integrative research review, centered on exploring the benefits of intraoperative STS on neonatal outcomes. Neonatal outcomes included breastfeeding, temperature regulation, and admission to the neonatal ward. Findings concluded that women who had intraoperative STS were more likely to initiate and maintain breastfeeding compared to those who did not experience STS intraoperatively (Wagner, 2018). In addition, research indicated that newborns who had intraoperative STS maintained or increased temperature. Intraoperative STS was found to have no risk on infant thermoregulation (Billner-Garcia, 2018). Finally, conventional cesarean sections without intraoperative STS were found to have approximately double the admissions to neonatal wards compared to admission for those who experience intraoperative STS (Billner-Garcia, 2018).