Newborn infants who received skin‐to‐skin contact with fathers after Caesarean sections showed stable physiological patterns

Variable
Cot group
Fathers arms 
group
Skin-to-skin 
group
P-value
P-value
P-value
(n = 32)
(n = 34)
(n = 29)
Cot vs Fathers 
arms
Cot vs 
Skin-to-skin
Skin-to-skin vs 
Fathers arms
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
Temperature
98.7°F (0.85)
98.7°F (0.78)
98.6°F (0.65)
.999
.217
.211
(37.1°C) (0.39)
(37.1°C) (0.73)
(37.0°C) (0.37)
Heart rate
142.5 bpm (7.5)
145.9 bpm (14.2)
150.8 bpm (16.3)
.184
.002
*
.063
Oxygen saturation
97.10% (1.4)
97.3% (1.4)
97.2% (1.5)
.498
.822
.665
Wakefulness
3.50 (1.57)
3.06 (1.34)
3.71 (1.74)
1.000
.013
*
.086
Bold indicates that a statistical difference was found
*P < .05. 
F I G U R E 1
Mean temperature at 45 to 120 minutes after birth in 
the three groups: cot, in the father's arms and skin-to-skin group
36.4
36.5
36.6
36.7
36.8
36.9
37
37.1
37.2
37.3
Basal
45
60
75
90
105
120
Means Celciu
s
Temperature
Cot
Fathers arms
Skin to skin
F I G U R E 2
Mean heart rate, beat per minutes (bpm) at 45 to 
120 minutes after birth in the three groups: cot, in the father's arms 
and skin-to-skin group
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
Basal
45
60
75
90
105
120
Mean bp
m
Heart rate
Cot
Fathers Arms
Skin to Skin
F I G U R E 3
Mean peripheral oxygen saturation (%) at 45 to 
120 minutes after birth in the three groups: cot, in the father's arms 
and skin-to-skin group
94.5
95
95.5
96
96.5
97
97.5
98
Basal
45
60
75
90
105
120
Means 
%
Oxygen saturation
Cot
Fathers arms
Skin to Skin

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|
1465
AYALA 
et
AL
.
However, there was no significant difference in the state of wake-
fulness between the cot group and skin-to-skin groups at any time 
points (Table 3).
The infants in the fathers' arms group demonstrated a signifi-
cantly lower state of wakefulness than the infants in the cot group at 
both 45 minutes (P = .028) and 60 minutes (P = .014).
There were no significant differences between the groups be-
tween 105 and 120 minutes, as all the infants presented a decreased 
level of wakefulness at this point.
The study also looked at the pattern of wakefulness within each 
group as a function of time.
Infants in the skin-to-skin contact group maintained an alert pat-
tern of wakefulness from 45 to 90 minutes; then, their wakefulness 
decreased to a drowsy state at 120 minutes.
There were significant changes in the pattern in the cot group 
from 45 to 105 minutes (P < .001). The infants showed an alert state 
between 45 and 75 minutes, followed by a drowsy state at 105 min-
utes and light sleep at 120 minutes.
The pattern also changed in the fathers' arms group, from 45 to 
120 minutes (P = .029). At 45 to 75 minutes, the infants showed a 
drowsy state followed by light sleep at 120 minutes.
Comparison of infants' mean wakefulness between the groups; 
infant in a cot, fathers' arms and in skin-to-skin.