Skin-to-Skin Contact in NICUs: Enhancing Neonatal Outcomes and Mother-Infant Bonding (Research Paper Sample)

Skin-to-Skin Contact in NICUs: Enhancing Neonatal Outcomes and Mother-Infant Bonding Name Institute Name Skin-to-Skin Contact in NICUs: Enhancing Neonatal Outcomes and Mother-Infant Bonding Introduction Care for premature and severely sick newborns has changed dramatically in recent years in NICUs across the globe (Føreland et al., 2022). Among the emerging practices, one that has attracted significant attention is Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC). The central concern of this investigation is the possible advantages of SSC for newborns in NICUs. Although SSC has shown impressive benefits in other contexts, its usefulness in neonatal intensive care units remains an area of inquiry. It has recently come to light that skin-to-skin contact (SSC), in which a parent places their naked chest against their infant's, has the potential to improve the health of infants. Initially, it was a resource-constrained alternative to traditional hospital treatment for premature newborns. Positive effects on the physiological, immunological, and developmental status of these preemies were found, making the findings persuasive. The many advantages of SSC led to its inclusion in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative's (BFHI) list of best practices. The first hours after delivery are so formative for mother-infant bonds, therefore, BFHI advocates promoting skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers as soon as possible (Potgieter & Adams, 2019). There is a need to study the unique relevance and efficacy of SSC within the NICU context despite the abundance of research supporting its advantages. Immense medical treatment and the resulting separation from their moms provide particular difficulties for neonates in NICUs. This research aims to answer this critical topic by investigating how SSC affects infants in NICUs. The overarching goal of this study is to further understanding of how SSC might promote the health and development of newborns in NICUs. PICO Questions The infants treated in NICUs represent the population (P) of interest in this study. Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is the primary intervention (I) being studied, with conventional care methods (C) in which newborns do not get SSC, serving as a control. A variety of physiological, immunological, and developmental outcomes, with a focus on better nursing success and cognitive development, will be evaluated in this research. Also, the paper will examine the influence of SSC on creating better bonding, attachment behaviors, and caring contact, which are critical for an infant's social and emotional development. From the above, the following PICO questions have been formulated: 1. Do superior physiological, immunological, and developmental outcomes (O) occur when SSC (I) is used with newborns in NICUs as opposed to standard care practices (C)? 2. Does Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC) (I) in NICUs lead to more bonding, attachment behaviors, and loving touch (O) than standard care (C)? 3. Is there a difference in the social and emotional development of NICU infants who get Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC) (I) vs those who receive conventional care (C) (O)? 4. Is there evidence that Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC) (I) in NICUs reduces infant morbidity and mortality (O) as compared to more standard care practices (C)? Significance According to Talisman et al. (2022), about 10-15 percent of babies born in the United States are admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies are born vulnerable and prone to several complications. The leading causes of death in neonates are infections, birth asphyxia, and prematurity (Eyeburu et al., 2021). Eyeburu et al. (2021) state that several other challenging factors contribute to NICU mortality rates; factors such as neonatal sepsis, low birth weight, and hypothermia. Figure showing NICU Admission Rates in the United States (Talisman et al.) However, promoting Skin-to-Skin (SSC) contact between NICU babies and their parents in the first few weeks of their lives has been connected to reduced risks of neonatal death (Goudard et al., 2022). In addition, research has shown that implementing Skin-to-Skin contact for babies in the NICU has helped to alleviate the fears of parents about the well-being of their babies and has facilitated parent-to-child bonding (Foreland et al., 2022; Potgieter and Adams, 2019). Babies in the NICU tend to spend a lot of time away from their parents but with increasing duration of Skin-to-Skin contact, there is a corresponding increase in the condition of infants (Potgieter and Adams, 2019). Nonetheless, Potgieter and Adams (2019) emphasize that the results of Skin-to-Skin contact between parents and their neonatal babies vary in significance and clinical effects. The following section reviews the current literature available on this topic. The findings of this paper have important implications for the development of neonatal care practices that will reduce neonatal mortality, especially in the setting of NICUs. This study adds to the continuous development of neonatal care by investigating the benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact for preterm and very sick neonates. The results obtained from this study have the potential to significantly impact the establishment of clinical standards and procedures for NICUs by providing essential insights into the effectiveness of SSC in enhancing newborns' physiological, immunological, and developmental outcomes. Recognizing the holistic requirements of both newborns and their mothers during this pivotal time, the research also strongly focuses on studying the effect of SSC on mother-infant bonding and emotional development. The study's findings might eventually impact neonatal care practices worldwide, leading to a more all-encompassing and individualized focus on the health of newborns in NICUs. Research Methodology Selected Computer Research Tools JBI search strategy for a scoping review is used when there is restricted time and resources for research. It is an efficient method for separating published sources from unpublished sources. The first step in implementing the JBI search strategy is to identify at least two relevant and credible databases. In this case National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and ResearchGate. This initial step is then followed by the analysis of the keywords in the title and abstract of the obtained sources. A second search containing all the selected keywords and terms is then carried out through all the included databases. A final step involves the outline of a reference list that shows all identified sources for the research. Research Designs There are three major research designs, and they are applied based on the research questions to be answered and available resources (Habib et al., 2014). These three research designs include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods of research (Beuving et al., 2015). Qualitative research design focuses on understanding and interpreting complex issues through subjective opinions and experiences (Zikmund et al.,2013). The objective of the qualitative method of research is to generate descriptive data by using methods such as interviews or observations (Zikmund et al., 2013). Quantitative research design involves the collection and analysis of numerical data to examine themes, statistical significance, and patterns (Fellows & Liu, 2015). The aim of the quantitative method of research is to generalize findings to a wider population by testing hypotheses and identifying trends (Saunders et al., 2019 p.179). Forms of quantitative research design include experiments, surveys, and analysis of existing secondary data (Fellows & Liu, 2015). While qualitative research design focuses on subjective opinions, quantitative research design focuses on numerical conclusions from the data collected. The application of quantitative research design identifies significant trends in the data collected. Furthermore, qualitative research is time-consuming and resource-intensive (Silverman, 2011). However, quantitative research methods can be used to generalize findings to a larger population. Lastly, mixed methods design is a combination of both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Mixed methods provide a comprehensive approach to extracting numerical data that supports generalized trends and obtaining subjective information through individual experiences. It is a good design for ensuring balanced research. Data Analysis Data analysis focuses on how collected data should be analyzed and it is premised to be done in line with the adopted method of the research of the study (Bell & Waters, 2018, p. 159). There are various data analysis methods that can be used to analyze the information gathered from secondary data sources, which include descriptive analysis, thematic analysis, inferential statistics, and content analysis. For this research, the thematic analysis approach will be used to analyze the collected data due to the research questions and objectives. Thematic data analysis refers to a type of quantitative data analysis that involves identifying themes or patterns throughout a textual data set (Creswell & Poth, 2022). It involves categorizing data to find themes connected to the research question and can be applied to analyze big and small data sets to produce in-depth explanations, theories, and descriptions (Saunders et al., 2019, p. 651). As evidenced by Kigerr & Varpio, (2020), using thematic analysis aids researchers in systematically engaging with the data to produce a robust analysis. The first step in thematic analysis requires getting familiar with the data by identifying initial themes (Castleberry & Nolen, 2018) The next step involves generating codes that encompass the meaning of the data collected (Castleberry & Nolen, 2018). The themes identified from the data are grouped according to their similarity, this creates an organized pattern of o...