title: Making the first days of life safer: preventing sudden unexpected postnatal collapse while promoting breastfeeding.
abstract: Early and prolonged skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after birth between a mother and her newborn has been shown to generate beneficial effects on the mother-infant relationship and breastfeeding. Close mother-infant body contact immediately after birth positively enhances exclusive breastfeeding during the hospital stay, with a dose-response relationship. Skin-to-skin contact may ease the infant's transition to extra-uterine life and helps regulate the infant's body temperature and nursing behavior. However, reports of sudden unexpected postnatal collapse (SUPC) soon after birth, in healthy term neonates, in association with SSC, have raised concerns about the safety of this practice. Based on available evidence, we developed a surveillance protocol in the delivery room and postnatal ward of the Institute for Maternal and Child Health of Trieste (Italy). The aim of our protocol is (a) to promote safe mother and infant bonding and (b) to establish successful breastfeeding, without increasing the risk of SUPC. As there is no known effective intervention to prevent SUPC, our protocol has been conceived as a potential best practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davanzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy angeladcnt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Cunto
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paviotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Travan
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inglese
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brovedani
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, San Polo Hospital, Monfalcone, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crocetta
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, San Polo Hospital, Monfalcone, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calligaris
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corubolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dussich
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Verardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Causin
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Jaquelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marrazzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strajn
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demarini
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D060127:Kangaroo-Mother Care Method; D000068101:Maternal-Child Health Services; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: bed sharing; breastfeeding; protocol; skin-to-skin contact; sudden unexpected postnatal collapse