Effect of Skin to Skin Contact on Maternal State Anxiety in a Cesarean Section Ward

This study aimed at investigating the effect of skin to skin contact (SSC) on maternal state anxiety (MSA) in cesarean section unit in Akbarabadi Hospital in Tehran. In a randomized controlled trial, 60 Iranian mothers with at least one record of cesarean section delivery were assigned to two intervention (SSC) and control groups. In the morning shift and two hours after the operation, as a routine postoperative care, pain-killers were given to all mothers. Then the mothers’ pain scores were measured using visual analog scale (VAS). If VAS was≤3, MSA was measured by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Scale (Spiel Berger). Thirty minutes of SSC Intervention was done for mothers in the intervention group. Six hours later, in case VAS was ≤ 3, MSA was re-measured by using the Spiel Berger Scale for all mothers. There were no meaningful statistical differences between the MSA mean scores of the two groups, but severity of MSA in intervention group was less than that of the control group (P=0.028). Six hours after the intervention, the MSA mean score of the intervention SSC group was significantly smaller than that of the control group (P=0.037). As regards the important role of constant anxiety in developing postpartum depression, and as the results of this study indicate, SSC is recommended in maternity and especially cesarean section wards.