The effect of mother-infant skin to skin contact on success and duration of first breastfeeding: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Taiwanese journal of obstetrics & gynecology 2019-01, Vol.58 (1), p.1-9
• Main Authors: Karimi, Fatemeh Zahra, Sadeghi, Ramin, Maleki-Saghooni, Nahid, Khadivzadeh, Talat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breast feeding; Meta-analysis; Mother-infant skin to skin contact; Systematic review
• ISSN: 1028-4559
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2018.11.002

Breast-feeding initiation within the first half hour after birth is one of the World Health Organization recommendations. However, in most hospitals, mother-infant contact and breast-feeding initiation are delayed due to routine mother and infant care. This study aimed to determine the effect of mother-infant skin to skin contact (SSC) immediately after birth on the success rate and duration of the first breast-feeding. In this review, databases of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Google Scholar, SID and Magiran and reference sections of relevant articles were searched for both Persian and English randomized clinical trials from 2000 to December 2017, using the keywords of “(Breast-feeding OR Lactation) AND (mother-infant SSC OR KMC) AND (breast-feeding success OR breast-feeding duration)”. A total of nine trials were ultimately included. Data analysis was performed with Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) software version 2. In total 597 participants were assigned to the intervention group and 553 participants were assigned to the comparison group. Quantitative analysis Based on mean differences or odds ratio showed that Mother-Infant SSC had a significantly positive effect on success in first breast-feeding (MD:1.90, 95%; CI 0.958–2.856; p = 0.00, OR: 2.771 95%; CI 1.587–4.838; p = 0.00) and first breast-feeding duration (MD:26.627 95%; CI 1.070–52.184; p = 0.041). Mother-infant SSC after birth has beneficial effects on breast-feeding and can increase the success rate and duration of the first lactation. Therefore, the results of this study can be used by healthcare providers in evidence-based decision-making about ways to increase breast-feeding rates.