A Skin-to-Skin Contact Facilitating Garment used by Mother-Infant Dyads: Exploring its Acceptability, Usage and Effect on Health Outcomes in the Postnatal Period.

Bailey, Roisin (2020) A Skin-to-Skin Contact Facilitating Garment used by Mother-Infant Dyads: Exploring its Acceptability, Usage and Effect on Health Outcomes in the Postnatal Period. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

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Abstract

Background and Setting

To date, no systematic investigation has considered the role of facilitating ongoing skin-to-skin contact (SSC) through babywearing for healthy, term babies to address early breastfeeding cessation and encourage relational development. Set in a large city in the West Midlands, England, this study recruited a diverse sample of healthy, term infants and their mothers to trial a skin-to-skin facilitating garment.

Aims

The study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of the skin-to-skin facilitating garment, known as the Snuby, by examining its effects on neonatal thermoregulation, breastfeeding at six weeks post-birth, and its effect on engagement with SSC and dyadic relational bonding.

Methodology and Analyses

A multiphase mixed methods design was used, including a feasibility study (n=11) using participant observation and descriptive analyses, a randomised controlled trial (n=98) using purpose-made data collection tools and statistical inferential analyses, and a qualitative follow-up phase (n=44) using semi-structured interviews and the framework method of analysis.

Results

The Snuby was as efficacious at maintaining neonatal normothermia in SSC as conventional facilitation with a blanket or covering. The study did not identify a significant correlation between the Snuby and the frequency of SSC episodes, nor breastfeeding rates at six weeks post-birth. These findings are explained by the barriers and resources identified in the qualitative phase. The process of bonding was identified as a motivator and outcome of using the Snuby. Unexpectedly, the garment invoked reciprocal dyadic communication and was used as a means to safeguard the integrity of the mother-infant relationship in times of stress.

Implications

These findings suggest that the Snuby is a safe means of skin-to-skin facilitation. Contrary to expectations, the provision of the garment does not address early breastfeeding cessation; further research should seek to confirm this. The Snuby garment appears to mitigate against the impact of breastfeeding stress on the development of the mother-infant relationship, and as such, has a potential application in the promotion of mother-infant bonding.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:	Date Event June 2020 Submitted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Kangaroo care, Skin to skin contact, Breastfeeding, Mixed methods
Subjects:	CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-01 - nursing (non-specific) CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-04 - midwifery
Divisions:	Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > College of Nursing and Midwifery
Depositing User:	Jaycie Carter
Date Deposited:	13 Oct 2022 14:39
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2022 14:39
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/13666