Early Skin-To-Skin Contact and Breastfeeding in Infants Born Before 35 Gestational Weeks: A Register Study

The aim was to investigate if there was an association between early skin-to-skin contact after preterm birth and breastfeeding status at discharge.

This was a register-based study using data from the Swedish Neonatal Quality register 2020-2024. In total, 9914 infants born before 35 weeks of gestation were included. The outcome was breastfeeding at discharge from the neonatal unit, assessed using two variables: breastfeeding at the breast and receiving breast milk. The exposure was early skin-to-skin contact, defined as within the first 24 h after birth. Odds ratios were estimated for the total population and stratified for gestational age groups.

Skin-to-skin contact within the first 24 h was associated with higher odds of partial breastfeeding at the breast at discharge, aOR 1.47 (95% CI 1.32-1.64), and higher odds of partially and exclusively receiving breast milk. Among extremely preterm infants, skin-to-skin contact was associated with higher odds of exclusive breastfeeding at the breast, aOR 2.22 (95% CI 1.35-3.64).

Early skin-to-skin contact was associated with higher odds of partial breastfeeding at discharge in the total study population and with exclusive breastfeeding in extremely preterm infants.