Effect of companion and midwife presence during mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on breastfeeding and postpartum pain: A clinical trail

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

2 M.Sc. of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

3 M.Sc. in Biostatistics, Nursing Care Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

4 Associate Professor, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Reproductive Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

10.22038/ijogi.2025.83361.6263

Abstract

Introduction: Skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby is very important in the first minutes after birth. Despite the great emphasis on its implementation, due to the lack of manpower and the numerous responsibilities of midwives, it is not possible to implement it properly. The present study was conducted with aim to investigate the effect of companion presence during mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on breastfeeding and postpartum pain.
Methods: This two-group randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2019 on 92 pregnant women in two groups: one accompanied by a companion and the other attended by a midwife (46 participants in each group) in Zabul City. Skin-to-skin contact was initiated immediately after birth and maintained for one hour. Maternal pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at four time points: immediately after birth, and at 30, 60, and 90 minutes following the initiation of skin-to-skin contact. The onset time of breastfeeding and its duration during one hour were recorded in a checklist. Data analysis was performed by SPSS (version 21) and independent t-test, Fisher's exact test, chi-square and repeated measures analysis of variance tests. P<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between companion and midwife present groups in the mothers' pain scores immediately after the birth, 30, 60, and 90 minutes after the start of skin contact. Pain scores in both groups significantly decreased during 30, 60 and 90 minutes after the start of skin-to-skin contact (P<0.001). In the companion group, the mean interval from the time of delivery to the start of breastfeeding was significantly shorter and the mean duration of breastfeeding was significantly longer than in the midwife group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Given the high workload of midwives, the presence of the mother's companion during skin-to-skin contact after delivery can be used to improve breastfeeding indicators, including earlier initiation of breastfeeding and increased duration of breastfeeding, in addition to the effect of skin-to-skin contact on reducing postpartum pain.

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Main Subjects

References

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The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility
Volume 28, Issue 2
April 2025
Pages 10-21

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