Initiating skin-to-skin in the operating room: program planning, implementation, and evaluation

Skin-to-skin contact between mother and child immediately following delivery is an important step in initiating successful breastfeeding episodes, in addition to many other physiologic benefits for mother and child. Breastfeeding remains a top national public health priority. Currently, at Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC (MWH), skin-to-skin contact is not being facilitated within the first hour of life when an infant is delivered via cesarean section. Through a literature review the technique for facilitating skin-to-skin in the operating room was developed. This technique was taught to the newborn assessment nurses (NANs) who are responsible for care of the infant after delivery in the operating room. This program was presented to obstetrical nursing leadership team who granted their approval. Additionally, this program was submitted for approve to the UPMC system wide quality improvement committee, from which approval was granted. When discussing this program with the NANs and birth center nurses the program was met with mixed feelings. Many concerns have come up and they have been addresses to the best of the authors’ ability. The author has taught all NANs how to facilitate skin-to-skin while in the operating room. The program has been evaluated using a patient satisfaction survey and by querying infant temperatures and comparing the non-skin-to-skin group to the skin-to-skin group and seeing if there is a difference between the mean temperatures of each group