title: Breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and mother-infant interactions over infants' first three months.
abstract: The effects of skin-to-skin contact (SSC) on the maintenance of mothers' decision to breastfeed, the effects of breastfeeding and SSC on mother-infant interactions, and whether maternal depressive symptoms mediate these effects were investigated over infants' first 3 months. When infants were 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months of age, mothers in the SSC and control groups reported the type of infant feeding provided and completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; J.L. Cox, J.M. Holden, & R. Sagovsky, 1987); mother-infant interactions were coded on the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS; G. Summer & A. Spietz, 1994). Percentage of breastfeeding dyads in the SSC group was stable over the 3 months; yet, fewer dyads in the control group were breastfeeding at the 2- and 3-month visits than at the 1-week visit. Breastfeeding dyads had higher NCAFS Caregiver subscale scores, indicating more positive maternal interactions, at 1 week, 2 months, and 3 months. NCAFS scores did not differ for the SSC and control groups. EPDS scores did not mediate the effect of SSC on breastfeeding or breastfeeding on NCAFS Caregiver subscale scores.
authors.affiliation: St. Francis Xavier University.
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Doris E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.forename: Janis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maclellan-Peters
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alex
authors.forename: Claudette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012867:Skin; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014110:Touch