Category Ranking
98%
Total Visits
921
Avg Visit Duration
2 minutes
Citations
20
Article Abstract
Background: Premature infants and their parents experience significant stress related to separation and lifesaving procedures. While evidence suggests that skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is a stress-reducing intervention for both neonates and parents, the mechanisms that underlie its efficacy are not well understood.
Objective: Purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on changes in biomarkers (ie, oxytocin [OT], cortisol, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, and allantoin), associated with SSC in premature infants and parents, that may reflect physiologic responses to stress.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from 1990 to 2020. Studies were selected using prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: Of the 175 studies identified, only 19 are included in this review. Ten studies evaluated only infants, 2 evaluated only parents, and 7 evaluated for changes in biomarkers in both infants and parents. Cortisol was the most common biomarker evaluated. While changes in infants' cortisol levels were highly variable, in 55% of the parent studies, parent cortisol levels decreased following SSC. In both parents and infants, OT levels decreased following SSC. Only 1 study found that allantoin levels were significantly lower in infants who received SSC.
Implications For Practice And Research: While evidence suggests the numerous benefits of SSC, additional research is needed to identify the optimal biomarker to determine the mechanisms that underlie these effects. The use of novel biomarkers (eg, gene expression changes microbiome) may provide new insights into the mechanisms that underlie the efficacy of SSC.Video Abstract available at:https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx?autoPlay=false&videoId=48.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9150851 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000905 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Preduodenal portal vein: a case series of variable clinical presentations and surgical implications.
BMC Pediatr
September 2025
Pediatric Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
Aim Of The Study: To present a case series of four pediatric patients with PDPV, each with a different clinical presentation and surgical management.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed four cases of PDPV managed at our institution. Two cases were associated with extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) and discovered incidentally during surgery.
Red blood cell transfusion frequency and the risk and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study.
BMC Pediatr
September 2025
Department of Neonatology, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian, China.
Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a common intervention for anemia in preterm infants; however, its association with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains debated. While biological mechanisms suggest potential harm, the clinical impact of transfusion frequency on BPD incidence and severity remains unclear.
Objective: To investigate whether RBC transfusion frequency is independently associated with the risk and severity of BPD in preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation.
The prospective association of prenatal anxiety symptoms in mothers and fathers with general child development 14 months postpartum and the mediating role of parent-child bonding: a mediation analysis within the longitudinal cohort study DREAM.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
September 2025
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
Background: Anxiety symptoms during pregnancy are a frequent mental health issue for expectant mothers and fathers. Research revealed that prenatal anxiety symptoms can impact parent-child bonding and child development. This study aims to investigate the prospective relationship between prenatal anxiety symptoms and general child development and whether it is mediated by parent-child bonding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA universal home-visit programme to tailor support to first-time parents: a qualitative case study on parents' perspectives.
BMC Public Health
September 2025
The Child Health Care Service, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden.
Background: The first year of a child's life is essential for promoting a healthy life, and the transition to becoming a parent can be a challenge; parents need to develop confidence in their own capacity to care for their child. The national Child Health Services programme in Sweden offers parental support, both on a universal level and in accordance with the individual family's needs. This study explores parents' experiences of an extended home-visit programme offered through a Family Centre to all first-time parents in a municipality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParent and Clinician Perspectives on Diagnostic Testing for Children With Diarrhea: A Qualitative Study.
JAMA Netw Open
September 2025
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City.
Importance: Advances in diagnostics have enabled the detection of more gastrointestinal pathogens, but misuse of diagnostics can lead to inappropriate antibiotic use and excess financial burdens. Ensuring appropriate use of diagnostics is crucial for optimizing patient care and promoting stewardship of health care resources.
Objective: To elicit parents' and clinicians' perspectives on expectations for care of pediatric diarrhea with a focus on diagnostic testing and to evaluate the potential for an electronic clinical decision support tool (ECDST) to improve appropriate use of diagnostics.