Immediate Skin-to-Skin Contact at Very Preterm Birth and Neurodevelopment the First Two Years: Secondary Outcomes...

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Developmental pediatrics
• Perinatal research

Background:

• Very preterm infants face heightened risks of developmental impairments.
• Immediate parent-infant skin-to-skin contact (iSSC) is a potential intervention to mitigate these risks.
• The study investigated the long-term effects of iSSC on preterm infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of immediate and continuous skin-to-skin contact initiated at birth on the cognitive, motor, social, and language development of very preterm infants up to two years of age.
• To compare outcomes between infants receiving iSSC and those receiving conventional care in the first six hours post-birth.
• To provide evidence supporting or refuting current recommendations for iSSC in neonatal intensive care units.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial (Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-To-Skin Study - IPISTOSS) conducted in three Scandinavian NICUs from April 2018 to June 2021.
• Infants born between 28 + 0 and 32 + 6 weeks gestational age were randomized to either iSSC or conventional care for the initial six hours.
• Developmental assessments included General Movement Assessment, Alberta Motor Infant Scale, Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd ed.), and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in motor development, cognition, or autism spectrum disorder prevalence between the iSSC and conventional care groups at 24 months.
• A statistically significant improvement in language development scores was found in the iSSC group compared to the conventional care group, even after adjusting for parental education and infant sex.
• The positive effect on language was consistent across different statistical models, indicating a robust finding.

Conclusions:

• Immediate skin-to-skin contact at birth does not appear to enhance cognitive, motor, or social development in very preterm infants by age two.
• iSSC may play a crucial role in fostering language skills during early development.
• The findings align with and support the World Health Organization's recommendations for implementing iSSC for all preterm infants.