EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT (SSC) ON BREASTFEEDING SUCCESS AND BODY TEMPERATURE AMONG NEWBORNS IN SELECTED HOSPITALS AT MEERUT

Abstract

Introduction: Early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is an evidence-based intervention that promotes neonatal adaptation, breastfeeding success, and thermal regulation. It is the best setting for babies to adjust to life outside the uterus. Infants having skin-to-skin contact with their mothers have been shown to display more efficient sucking patterns, earlier initiation of breastfeeding, and longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding compared to those who experience separation after birth. Only 23.6% of the newborns were breastfed within half an hour of birth and only 24.5% within an hour according to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3). Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of Skin-to-Skin contact on breastfeeding success and body temperature among newborns. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 60 mothers with their newborns (30 experimental group, 30 control group) in Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Hospital and District Women Hospital at Meerut using consecutive sampling technique who met the eligibility criteria and written consents were taken from the sample. The experimental group received Skin-to-Skin Contact for one hour after birth, while the control group received Conventional care. Data were collected using the LATCH breastfeeding assessment tool and an Infrared thermometer before and after the intervention. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Paired t-test and Unpaired t-test were used to evaluate the effectiveness of early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) on breastfeeding success and body temperature among newborns. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in breastfeeding success and body temperature among newborns in the experimental group following the implementation of early skin-to-skin contact. In contrast, no statistically significant improvement in breastfeeding success was observed in the control group, although body temperature showed a statistically significant change. Unpaired t-test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in post-test breastfeeding success and body temperature scores between the experimental and control groups, indicating the effectiveness of early skin-to-skin contact. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a very strong positive correlation between breastfeeding success and body temperature in the experimental group (r = 0.7049, p = 0.000007) and a strong positive correlation in the control group (r = 0.6035, p = 0.000207). Chi-square analysis revealed no statistically significant association between breastfeeding success, body temperature, and selected demographic variables (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference noted in the mean breastfeeding success and body temperature scores between pre-test and post-test among newborns who received early skin-to-skin contact. A statistically significant difference was also observed between the experimental and control groups regarding breastfeeding success and body temperature. This indicates that early skin-to-skin contact effectively enhances breastfeeding success and helps maintain normal body temperature in newborns.