Both mothers and fathers should achieve early skin to skin holding of their small premature infants, despite the infants' need for breathing equipment, including respirator. If the mother needs to wait to hold her newborn due to her medical conditon, this is not reason enough for the father also to wait.
Purpose/Question:
Do fathers wait significantly longer post delivery to hold their small premature infants skin to skin (kangaroo) than mothers do?
Methods:
Registration-schedule, existing sources of data, and interviews were used.
Finding/Conclusion:
The time from birth (hours) until fathers held their small premature infants skin to skin was significantly different (p= 0.0004) compared to mothers. Fathers held their infants later than did mothers, despite the fact that fathers saw their infants before the mothers did. Compared to the mothers the average waiting time before fathers first held their infants skin to skin showed a difference of 120.9% (difference of the median).
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In addition to showing the parents' experiences from the first time they had close contact with their premature infants, the video shows the following intervention: Taking small premature infants in stable condition and placing them skin to skin to the parents' chest in spite of the infants' dependency on their need for a respirator or supply of oxygen. Available in Norwegian and English VHS/PAL (European), VHS/NTSC (American) or Norwegian VHS/PAL from Kari Gloppestad, Dept. of Pediatrics, The National Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway. 1987 (recorded 1985–1986), 25 minutes.
