Effect of Immediate Maternal-Neonatal Skin-to-Skin Contact on the Outcomes of the Third Stage of Labor

Saeed, Amal Ahmed Mohamed ,; Mahmoud, Amany Ahmed Gamal El-Din ,; El-Kassar, Yasser Saad; Lamadah, Sahar Mansour

doi:10.21608/asalexu.2025.414967

Effect of Immediate Maternal-Neonatal Skin-to-Skin Contact on the Outcomes of the Third Stage of Labor

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

¹ Assistant Lecturer Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University

² Professor Emeritus Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University

³ Professor Obstetric and Gynecologic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University

⁴ Professor Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University

10.21608/asalexu.2025.414967

Abstract

Background: Third stage of labor is the shortest yet the most treacherous, as it may be
compounded by the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Managing such perilous stage effectively is
an imperative to accomplish a safe outcome for the parturients. Immediate skin-to-skin contact (SSC)
upon birth could be a protective strategy to mitigate the frequency and severity of PPH during labor,
thus securing a safe positive childbirth experience for the mothers. Objective: To assess the effect of
immediate maternal-neonatal SSC on the outcomes of the third stage of labor. Settings: This study
was implemented at the labor and delivery unit of El-Shatby Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology,
affiliated to Alexandria University, Egypt. Subjects: A convenient sample of sixty parturients was
enrolled from the formerly identified setting and equally allocated into a study (30) and a control (30)
group. Tools: Three tools were utilized. Tool-I: Basic data structured interview schedule. Tool-II:
Third-stage of labor structured assessment sheet. Tool-III: Quantification of maternal blood loss
during the third-stage of labor. Results: Statistically significant differences were revealed between
both groups in relation to the outcomes of the third stage of labor. In which a shorter mean duration
of the third stage of labor (6.62 ± 2.96 minutes) and less mean amount of blood loss (301.03 ± 51.17
ml) was found among the study group parturients than among the control group parturients (11.58 ±
2.13 minutes and 389.77 ± 84.25 ml, respectively). Also, higher percentages of the study group
parturients demonstrated a firm contracted uterus located around the level of umbilicus following the
delivery of a complete intact placenta and membranes, with less need for additional therapeutic
measures relative to the control group ones. Conclusion: Immediate maternal-neonatal SSC produced
positive effects on the outcomes of the third stage of labor. Recommendations: Training programs for
maternity nurses would encourage them to adopt the practice of maternal-neonatal SSC.

Keywords