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Immediate maternal thermal response to skin‐to‐skin care of newborn
Author(s) -
Bergström A,
Okong P,
RansjöArvidson AB
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00280.x
Subject(s) - medicine , skin temperature , forehead , skin to skin , skin conductance , anesthesia , obstetrics , surgery , breastfeeding , dermatology , pediatrics , biomedical engineering
Aim: To elucidate the immediate maternal thermal skin response when placing the neonate on the mothers' chest, skin‐to‐skin (STS). Methods: Ugandan mothers with non‐asphyxiated newborns after vaginal delivery (n = 39) were studied. Maternal skin and axillary temperatures were measured immediately before STS contact, then every 2 min for 20 min and finally 10 min after removing the neonate. Neonatal axillary/forehead temperatures were measured immediately before STS contact, and twice after initiating STS, followed by a measurement 10 min after the newborn had been removed. Results: A rapid thermal response was demonstrated in maternal breast skin immediately after STS contact. It rose by 0.5°C (p < 0.0001) on average the first 2 min after STS contact and fell by 0.5°C 10 min after we had removed the neonate (p < 0.0001). Maternal axillary temperature also rose 2 min after initiation of STS (p < 0.0001) but stayed constant 10 min after removal of the newborn from the STS position. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there is a rapid maternal, thermal response to the positioning of the newborn STS. The tactile contact may elicit a maternal adaptation enhancing the warming of the newborn. Possible mechanisms include maternal autonomic nerve‐mediated skin vasodilatation.