Skin-to-skin contact as a method of body warmth for infants of low birth weight.

Skin-to-skin mother/infant contact as a means of warmth for newborns of low birth weight (less than or equal to 2500 g) was studied in 132 infants admitted consecutively during the cold season July/September at the Central Hospital in Maputo. The mean (+/- SD) birth weight was 1788 g (+/- 304 g) and the gestational age 34 weeks (+/- 2.7). Fifty-seven (43 per cent) infants were born outside the hospital and were referred. The ambient temperature ranged from less than 22 degrees C to 32 degrees C. Skin-to-skin contact as the principal means of warmth commenced in more than a third by age 3 days and in more than a half by age 5 days after periods of observation to exclude clinical problems. The infants were kept warm using conventional methods during observation. Re-admission to the intensive care unit was required in nine cases: four for diarrhoea; two for respiratory infection; two with jaundice; and one for poor suckling. Infants were discharged home at a mean (+/- SD) weight of 1864 g (+/- 227), and age 15.6 d (+/- 7.9). Skin-to-skin contact, either by itself or in combination with other methods of warmth, was reportedly followed at home by 67 per cent of the mothers who received home visits. No infant needed readmission for hypothermia either from the neonatal wards or after being discharged home. At follow-up, when body weight had reached greater than or equal to 2500 g, the outcome was graded as 'good' in 64; 'satisfactory' in 6; and 'poor' in 4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)