Lisanti AJ, Demianczyk AC, Costarino A, Vogiatzi MG, Hoffman R, Quinn R, Chittams JL, Medoff-Cooper B. Skin-to-Skin Care is Associated with Reduced Stress, Anxiety, and Salivary Cortisol and Improved Attachment for Mothers of Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease.
J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2020;
50:40-54. [PMID:
33181093 DOI:
10.1016/j.jogn.2020.09.154]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the effect of skin-to-skin care (SSC) on biobehavioral measures of stress (anxiety and salivary cortisol) and attachment (attachment scores and salivary oxytocin) of mothers before and after their infants' neonatal cardiac surgery.
DESIGN
A prospective interventional, baseline response-paired pilot study.
SETTING
Cardiac center of a large, metropolitan, freestanding children's hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
Thirty women whose infants were hospitalized for neonatal cardiac surgery.
METHODS
Participants acted as their own controls before, during, and after SSC at two time points: once before and once after surgery. We measured the stress response of mothers, as indicated by self-reported scores of anxiety and maternal salivary cortisol, and maternal-infant attachment, as indicated by self-reported scores and maternal salivary oxytocin.
RESULTS
Significant reductions in self-reported scores of anxiety and salivary cortisol were found as a result of SSC at each time point, as well as increased self-reported attachment. No significant differences were found in oxytocin.
CONCLUSION
Our findings provide initial evidence of the benefits of SSC as a nurse-led intervention to support maternal attachment and reduce physiologic and psychological stress responses in mothers of infants with critical congenital heart disease before and after neonatal cardiac surgery.
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