OC09 - Early maternal contact has an impact on preterm infants' brain systems that manage stress.

UNLABELLED: Theme: Parenting/parenthood. INTRODUCTION: Early maternal contact can protect the infants' brain from harmful effects of stress while deprivation increases the stress level and leads to increased sensitivity to stress. AIM: To evaluate the effects of continuous skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after preterm birth on stress. METHODS: Late preterm infants from two neonatal care units were randomized to either SSC or standard care. Salivary cortisol was measured in response to a nappy change at one month, and again at four months in response to a still-face procedure. RESULTS: Infants randomized to SSC had a significantly lower salivary cortisol reactivity at one month and there was a correlation between the mothers' and the preterm infants' salivary cortisol levels at four months. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that close parental contact and human touch have a buffering effect on the infant's stress reactivity and stimulate a more rapid development of regularity.

A randomised trial of continuous skin-to-skin contact after preterm birth and the effects on salivary cortisol, parental stress, depression, and breastfeeding.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of almost continuous skin-to-skin contact (SSC) on salivary cortisol, parental stress, parental depression, and breastfeeding. STUDY DESIGN: This is a randomised study engaging families of late preterm infants (32-35 weeks gestation). Salivary cortisol reactivity was measured in infants during a nappy change at one month corrected age, and in infants and mothers during still-face at four month corrected age. Both parents completed the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) at one month and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at one and four months. Ainsworth's sensitivity scale was used to control for parental sensitivity. SUBJECTS: Thirty-seven families from two different neonatal care units in Sweden, randomised to either almost continuous SSC or standard care (SC). RESULTS: Infants randomised to SSC had a lower salivary cortisol reactivity at one month (p=0.01). There was a correlation between the mothers' and the preterm infants' salivary cortisol levels at four months in the SSC group (ρ=0.65, p=0.005), but not in the SC group (ρ=0.14, p=0.63). Fathers in SSC scored lower on the SPSQ sub-scale spouse relationship problems compared to fathers in SC (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Almost continuous SSC decreases infants' cortisol reactivity in response to handling, improves the concordance between mothers' and infants' salivary cortisol levels, and decreases fathers' experiences of spouse relationship problems.