Análisis de Costo Efectividad del Contacto Piel a Piel al Nacimiento, Temprano vs Inmediato, en la Morbilidad Neonatal de Recién Nacidos de Bajo Riesgo.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of immediate skin-to-skin contact compared with early skin-to-skin contact in the prevalent neonatal morbidity of the low-risk newborn in Colombia. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. The perspective of the third payer (health system) was used, and the time horizon was the first month of life. Low-risk term infants were included at birth. The cost estimate was obtained from an expert consensus and a retrospective cohort of neonates hospitalized in a neonatal unit. The effectiveness of the interventions was obtained from a clinical trial and was defined as an avoided case of hospitalization. A decision tree was built, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses of the effects and costs were performed. RESULTS: Early skin-to-skin contact was a dominated intervention. In the probabilistic sensitivity analyses, early skin-to-skin contact was not an option to choose in any scenario and it was dominated in 68% of the simulations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that early skin-to-skin contact is a dominated intervention. From an economic perspective, immediate skin-to-skin contact is a desired intervention for the prevention of prevalent diseases of the low-risk newborn at birth.

Comparison of the Effects of Different Skin-to-Skin Contact Onset Times on Breastfeeding Behavior.

Objective: Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) between mother and child improves the rates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the neonatal period. This study evaluated the effects of two SSC onset times on breastfeeding behavior in the neonatal period. Materials and Methods: A multicenter clinical trial was conducted, with random allocation of participants to two different SSC onset times: immediate (at birth) and early (at 60 minutes of life). Low-risk neonates at birth were included. The researchers responsible for analyzing the data were blinded. The outcomes evaluated were early breastfeeding; EBF in the hospital, in the first week of life, and in the first month; and breastfeeding effectiveness in the neonatal period. Bivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of the onset of SSC on breastfeeding indicators. The relative risk (RR) was reported as an effect measure. Results: A total of 297 neonates were included (immediate SSC, n = 148; and early SSC, n = 149). No differences were found in early breastfeeding (93.6% versus 90.6%; RR 1.6, 95% confidence interval 0.07-3.82), breastfeeding effectiveness, or EBF in the neonatal period. There was an earlier initiation of breastfeeding in the immediate SSC group (22 versus 27 minutes, p < 0.001). Conclusions: No differences in breastfeeding indicators in the neonatal period were observed between groups with different onset times of SSC (immediate versus early) in the neonatal sensitive period among low-risk neonates at birth. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT02687685.

Randomized clinical trial of the effect of the onset time of skin-to-skin contact at birth, immediate compared to early, on the duration of breastfeeding in full term newborns.

BACKGROUND: Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) compared to separation at birth has a positive effect on breastfeeding. However, separation at birth is common with negative impact on breastfeeding. The aim was to determine the effect of immediate SSC compared to early SSC on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. METHODS: A randomized multicentre parallel clinical trial was conducted in two hospitals in Cundinamarca (Colombia) between November 2018 and January 2020. Low-risk full term newborns at birth were included. Neonates were assigned to immediate (in the first minute after birth) or early onset (start exactly at 60 min of life) skin to skin contact. Monthly follow-up was performed until 6 months of age. The primary outcome was the percentage of exclusively breastfed infants at 6 months (time in months with human milk as the only source of food). Secondary outcomes were the percentage of infants with exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months, duration in months of exclusive breastfeeding, neonate's breastfeeding ability, percentage of weight change between birth and the first week of life and hospitalization in the neonatal unit in the first week. A bivariate analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. A survival analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the onset of SSC on exclusive breastfeeding duration. RESULTS: A total of 297 newborns were included: 49.8% (n = 148) in the immediate SSC group, and 50.2% (n = 149) in the early SSC group. The mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding in both groups was 5 months. There were no differences between the groups in the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months (relative risk [RR] 1.06, 95% CI 0.72, 1.58) or in the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98, 95% CI 0.74, 1.28). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of infants and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of age were the same between the two groups of SSC interventions. Given the current barriers to its implementation, the results of this study could positively impact the use of SSC at birth and standardize the intervention and improve breastfeeding indicators. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02687685 .