Family integration and skin-to-skin contact with the newborn favors the recovery of the hospitalized patient: experiences of its implementation in an Obstetric Critical Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: Skin-to-skin contact (COPAP) on the maternal thorax allows the preterm newborn to experience tactile, auditory, and proprioceptive stimuli, heart rate, the sound of the flow of the great vessels and maternal caresses while being held; this stimulates the self-regulation necessary for the survival of these infants.Aim: to describe the experiences in the implementation of a protocol of family integration and skin-to-skin contact with the newborn in order to favor the recovery of the patient hospitalized.Methods: A non-experimental, analytical study was carried out in health systems and services. The study alternatively used secondary source data from technical documentation of the sector and statistical records of the service. Results: Regarding the characteristics of the puerperal women who participated in the skin-to-skin contact protocol, those aged between 25 and 30 years predominated, with an interperiod growth of 21.9%. The most frequent pathologies were Severe Eclampsia and Pre-Eclampsia; only 4 pathologies were found with negative growth. Finally, according to the distribution of RN admission according to the mother's hospitalization day, we found a growth in hospitalizations longer than 4 days, and a decrease in those that were 3 days, this indicator remained in general with growth.Conclusions: It can be affirmed that skin-to-skin contact is a recommended, beneficial, and safe practice. The availability of a protocol agreed upon by the services involved makes it possible to apply it as a routine care procedure.