Fatores associados ao tempo de exposição ao contato pele-apele em recém-nascidos de baixo peso

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Skin to skin contact consists in keep the newborn, wearing only a diaper, in vertical position attached to the mothers’/fathers’ chest resting for a minimum time to respect the neonate stabilization and for the maximum time that both understand as pleasant and adequate. Early, regular and prolonged skin to skin contact has shown positive impact on newborn’s health. Multiple factors could influence the realization and the duration of the exposition to the skin to skin contact. AIM: to assess the associated factors to the skin to skin exposition time in newborns weighting up to 1.800g during neonatal unit stay. METHODS: Prospective cohort study, conducted in five neonatal referral centers to Kangaroo Method in Brazil. Data related to mother and newborn were collected from medical charts and interviews, skin to skin realization was registered on cards and fixed on the hospital bed, filled in by the health team and mother/father. The outcome variable was the mean time of skin to skin contact per day less than 180 minutes. Hierarchical modelling was performed using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance to calculate prevalence ratios, considering significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Of 405 newborns included in the study, 248 accomplished mean time of skin to skin contact less than 180 minutes/day (61,23%). The variables that remained associated with a minor skin to skin contact mean time were: lack of easy access to the child (PR = 2,08; 95%CI: 1,01 – 4,27) and lack of previous knowledge about Kangaroo Method (PR = 2,26; 95%CI: 1,08 – 4,71). Having diseases in pregnancy remained associated to a major mean time of skin to skin contact (PR = 0,48; 95%CI: 0,26 – 0,88). CONCLUSION: Mothers without easy access to the newborn and not knowing about the method form a priority to the health team aiming to promote the engagement of their families in longer time of skin to skin contact exposition performed with the newborns needing hospitalization.