Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs
Published on: October 31, 2025
Delivery room skin-to-skin contact for preterm infants-A randomized clinical trial
Katrin Mehler1, Eva Hucklenbruch-Rother2, Patricia Trautmann-Villalba3
1Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Aim:
To investigate the effects of 60 minutes delivery room skin-to-skin contact (DR-SSC) compared with 5 minutes visual contact (VC) on mother-child interaction (MCI), salivary cortisol, maternal depression, stress and bonding at 6 months corrected age.
Methods:
A single-centre randomized controlled trial conducted in a German level III NICU. Eighty-eight preterm infants (25-32 weeks of gestational age) were randomized after initial stabilization to either 60 minutes DR-SSC or 5 minutes VC. Forty-five infants were allocated to DR-SSC, 43 to VC.
Results:
Delivery room skin-to-skin contact dyads showed a higher quantity of maternal motoric (18 vs 15, P = .030), infant's vocal (7 vs 5, P = .044) and motoric (20 vs 15, P = .032) responses. Moreover, the combined score of maternal and infant responsive behaviour was higher (86 vs 71, P = .041) in DR-SSC dyads. DR-SSC mothers had lower risk of both, early postpartum depression (15% vs 45%, P = .003) and impaired bonding (Score 3 vs 5, P = .031).
Conclusion:
In addition to regular intermittent kangaroo mother care, DR-SSC promotes MCI and decreases risk of maternal depression and bonding problems. Thus, DR-SSC may have positive effects on preterm development.
Related Concept Videos
Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Clinical Trials: Overview
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Sensory Functions of the Skin
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...

