Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is commonly performed after normal vaginal delivery and there is an increased demand by mothers to perform SSC after caesarean section (CS). However, there are still many obstacles that inhibit the initiation of SSC after CS, especially the risk of neonatal hypothermia. Although the evidence suggests that SSC promotes neonatal normothermia, this evidence is based on studies after vaginal birth and not after CS. Current literature suggests that both mothers and newborns may become hypothermic during or after a CS in the absence of active preventative measures. Suboptimal neonatal and maternal temperatures could have adverse physiological effects in both newborns and mothers. This narrative review predominantly focuses on the available evidence for SSC after CS. It also synopsises the adverse effects of hypothermia in neonates and mothers, and explains the physiology of peripartum thermoregulation, the mechanisms of heat loss and their prevention.
Impact of skin-to-skin contact on maternal comfort in patients with elective caesarean section: A pilot study
