Skin-to-Skin Contact after Cesarean Delivery: An Experimental Study - Essay Example

However, the role of this practice in babies delivered via Cesarean Delivery is uncertain and not much research has been conducted in this subgroup of population (Gouchon, Gregori, Picotto, Patrucco, Nangeroni, & Di Giulio, 2010). Moreover, most of the studies conducted with regard to SCC have been quantitative in nature and there is a paucity of literature exploring the phenomenological aspects of Skin to Skin Contact (SCC), particularly after Cesarean Delivery, such as the mother’s experiences and perceptions regarding the practice of SSC and the post natal and pre-feeding behaviors of neonates.

Research purpose: To study the effect of the practice of SSC amongst individuals delivered via Caesarean Section on the post natal and pre-feeding behaviors of neonates by naturalistic observations of the neonates before, during and after SCC, on neonatal crying frequency and duration, on the status of breastfeeding during the hospital stay and post-discharge and the total duration of breastfeeding. Moreover, this study also aims to elucidate the experiences and perceptions of mothers regarding the practice of SCC via a transcendental phenomenological approach.

Research question: What is the effect of the practice of SSC amongst individuals delivered via Caesarean Section on the post natal and pre-feeding behaviors of neonates, on neonatal crying frequency and duration, on breastfeeding status during the hospital stay and post-discharge and the total duration of breastfeeding? What are the experiences and perceptions of mothers regarding the practice of skin to skin contact? Informed Consent and Ethical Considerations: The study participants will be provided with information regarding the study both verbally and via an information sheet (containing a description of the study background, study objectives and procedures in layman terms) and written informed consent will also be obtained.

The right to refuse participation and withdraw at any time from the study will be stated. The confidentiality of study participants will be ensured via measures such as the use of randomly allocated numbers instead of names and medical record numbers. The Data Collection questionnaires shall be destroyed once the study is complete. No participants will be excluded from the study on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity. Approval from an IRB to conduct this study will be obtained. There are no known benefits or risks involved to the participants in this study.

There will be no remuneration for participation in this study. Study Design:  A qualitative study will be conducted using the Husserlian Transcendental phenomenology method (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008) to record the mothers’ perceptions and experiences related to the practice of skin to skin contact and naturalistic observations of the neonates’ post natal and pre-feeding behaviors, neonatal crying and the status and duration of breastfeeding will be made. Type of sample: The study sample will be comprised of women who are scheduled for elective cesarean delivery with loco-regional anesthesia, presenting to the maternity ward of a tertiary care hospital.

Data Collection Procedure: The post natal and pre-feeding behavior of the neonates will be assessed using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) (The Brazelton Institute, 2008). This is a pre-validated scale which is widely used in