Factors associated with skin to skin contact between mother/son and breastfeeding in the delivery room

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate factors associated with skin to skin contact between mother and child and breastfeeding at the delivery room in mothers who visit a human milk bank. Methods This retrospective study (2009 to 2012) assessed the secondary data of 12,283 mothers obtained by a structured protocol. A distal-, intermediate-, and proximal-level hierarchical Poisson regression model analyzed the sociodemographic, maternal, prenatal, gestational, infant, and hospital care data. Results The following items were associated with a higher prevalence of skin to skin contact and breastfeeding in the delivery room: vaginal delivery (RP=1.34; 95%CI 1.27-1.41 and PR=1.63; 95%CI 1.45-1.83), uneventful delivery (PR=1.24; 95%CI 1.12-1.38 and PR=1.27; 95%CI 1.03-1.56), appropriate birth weight (PR=1.23; 95%CI 1.11-1.36 and PR=1.92; 95%CI 1.48-2.48), and term birth (PR=1.18; 95%CI 1.10-1.28 and PR=1.40; 95%CI 1.17-1.67). Conclusion The strong influence of hospital care and newborn birth conditions explained the study outcomes. Actions that promote skin to skin contact and breastfeeding in the delivery room of large hospitals in capital cities are needed, such as reduction or postponement of interventions during postnatal care. Longitudinal studies may clarify other issues on this subject.