Effectiveness of an Early Skin-to-Skin Contact Program for Pregnant Women with Cesarean Section: A Quasi-Experimental Trial

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness of early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after a cesarean section (CS) program. Methods: An “early SSC after CS” program was implemented at a tertiary care hospital in Tanzania. A non-equivalent group design was used. A questionnaire was used to collect data on exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding intention, Birth Satisfaction Scale—Revised Indicator (BSS-RI) score, perioperative pain with a visual analogue scale, and infant hospitalization for infectious diseases and diarrhea at 2–3 days postpartum. Follow-up surveys were conducted until 4 months postpartum regarding exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding intention, and hospitalization of the infants. Results: This study involved 172 parturient women who underwent CS, with 86 in the intervention group and 86 in the control group. The exclusive breastfeeding rates at 4 months postpartum were 57 (76.0%) in the intervention group and 58 (76.3%) in the control group, with no significant difference. The BSS-RI score was higher in the intervention group (7.91, range 4–12, SD 2.42) than in the control group (7.18, range 3–12, SD 2.02) (p = 0.007) for women who underwent emergency CS. The survival probability for infants hospitalized owing to infectious diseases, and diarrhea was significantly higher in the intervention group (98.5%) than in the control group (88.3%) (χ2 = 5.231, p = 0.022) for multiparas. Conclusion: The early SSC after CS program showed a positive effect on the birth satisfaction of women undergoing emergency CS. It also reduced the incidence of infants hospitalized owing to infectious diseases and diarrhea for multiparas.