Early skin-to-skin contact and the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage and sepsis in preterm infants

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the risks of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) or sepsis in extremely and very preterm infants exposed to early skin-to-skin contact (SSC).

Methods: Data from the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register from 2015 to 2021 were extracted to compare the proportions of infants exposed and not exposed to SSC on day 0 and/or 1 in life that developed IVH or sepsis.

Results: A total of 2514 infants, 1005 extremely preterm and 1509 very preterm, were included. This amounted to 69% of all extremely and very preterm infants born during the study period. The proportion of infants with IVH exposed and not exposed to early SSC was 11% and 27%, an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.67 (95%CI 0.52-0.86, p = 0.002). The proportion of infants with sepsis exposed and not exposed to early SSC was 16% and 30%, an aOR of 0.94 (95%CI 0.75-1.2, p = 0.60). For extremely preterm infants, the proportion with sepsis when exposed and not exposed to early SSC was 29% and 44%, an aOR of 0.65 (95%CI 0.46-0.92, p = 0.015).

Conclusion: In the current setting, the risk of IVH or sepsis is not increased when an extremely or very preterm infant is exposed to early SSC.

Keywords: intraventricular haemorrhage; preterm infant; quality register; sepsis; skin‐to‐skin contact.