Newborn Baby from C-Section Found to Develop Better Through Skinship with their Father

A recent study revealed that a newborn baby from C-Section is found to develop better through skinship with father.

The study was conducted in the years 2009 to 2012 in a general public hospital in Chile. This hospital has 9000 deliveries per year. 

The study showed that newborn babies who have established skinship with their father after being born through Caesarean section have more stable development compared to newborn babies who were in crib care or in their fathers' arms.

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The study

In the study conducted by Ana Ayala, Kyllike Christensson, Eva Christensson, Gabriel Cavada, Kerstin Erlandsson, and Marianne Velandia, 95 newborn babies were observed.

Among the 95 infants, 53 percent were female. These babies had a mean gestational age of 38.9 ± 0.9 weeks and were born via C-section.

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How was the study conducted?

To determine the aim of the researchers, they had to separate the newborn babies into three different groups of care. These groups were:

1. cot care
2. fathers' arms
3. skin-to-skin contact or skinship with their fathers

The method in determining which among the three groups of care was more effective, the babies were assessed at 15-minute intervals. The assessment was also done from 45 to 120 minutes after the C-section.

Parents were informed about the study beforehand. After being born, the babies were tested and checked if they met the study's criteria.

During the intervention, the fathers were allowed to interact with their newborn baby.

Except for those in the cot group, they were not allowed to pick up their newborn baby from the crib. There were no limitations for the fathers in the fathers' arms and skin-to-skin group.

The babies in the study were continuously assessed by staff in the neonatal unit. Their physical well-being was checked.

After two hours of interventions, the babies were returned or reunited with their mothers in the obstetric unit.

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The result of the study

Before the conduct of the study, around 107 couples agreed to participate. However, due to the parameters set by the researchers, 12 infants did not meet the health criteria. That is why only 95 infants were subjected to the study.

The division of the infants in the study was as follows: 

1. cot care - 32 infants
2. fathers' arms - 34 babies
3. skinship with their fathers - 29 newborn babies

Although the study showed that the infants' physiological parameters and wakefulness were stable, there was an observed difference in the mean heart rate of newborn babies in the three groups of care.

The newborn babies who have established skinship with their father have a higher mean heart rate.

These results led to the researcher's claim that newborn babies can be cared for safely by their fathers if the mothers cannot take care of them after birth.

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