A Feasibility Study of the SNUBY®, a Skin-to-skin Garment, in the Preterm Infant (Preterm SNUBY®)

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Breast Feeding; Premature Birth

Treatments: Other: SNUBY

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03497793

DHRD/2017/097

Details and patient eligibility

About

Skin-to-skin care (placing the nappy-clad baby on the mother's bare chest and draping both in a blanket) is known to benefit both baby and mother. Benefits to the baby include warmth, reduced crying, and stabilisation of heart rate, breathing and blood sugar, and promotion of breastfeeding while simultaneously reduces mother's anxiety, improves bonding, and increases breastmilk production. Although these benefits are even more pronounced for preterm, studies show most preterm babies do not receive adequate skin-to-skin care due to fears such as dislodging intravenous lines, ventilation tubes, monitor wires and concerns about safety and privacy. Measures are therefore required to increase maternal confidence and awareness and facilitate skin-to-skin care for preterm infants.

SNUBY® (SNUggle baBY) is a purpose-built garment for facilitation of skin-to-skin care in preterm infants. It is made of comfortable, breathable bamboo fabric with an attractive appearance such that it can be worn as a normal garment.

In addition, it has distinctive features that allow the baby to be placed in a specially designed pouch, in direct contact with the mother's skin, with supports for lines and tubes that may be attached to the baby. Although many garments are commercially available for mothers to carry babies, no such specially designed garment has ever been tested scientifically and none are specifically designed for preterm babies. In this observational study, the investigators will initially test the feasibility of using the SNUBY® in preterm infants by inviting five mothers-preterm infant pairs, with mother's written informed consent, to use the garment under direct supervision. Following this, the investigators will analyse the safety and acceptability of using it on a larger scale to facilitate skin-to-skin care in preterm babies. The investigators will gather information on the staff and mothers' knowledge of skin-to-skin care and their experience of using SNUBY®.

Full description

Skin-to-skin contact is used as part of a package of Kangaroo Mother Care across the world. This has been demonstrated to reduce neonatal morbidity, mortality, and inpatient stays for low birth weight and preterm infants (Charpak and Ruiz 2016).

This study examines the effect a facilitating garment, the Snuby® has on neonatal health outcomes associated with skin-to-skin contact, such as neonatal thermoregulation, breastfeeding status, and self-reported mother-infant bonding. It uses a mixed methods approach to address quantitative and qualitative outcomes including participant's perspectives, and measurable health markers.

Sex: All

Ages: Under 4 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Preterm (born at < 37 weeks gestation) infants
• Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Well enough to receive skin-to-skin care
• Mothers who agree to participate AND Mothers of eligible preterm infants

Exclusion criteria

*Any infant or mother considered unsuitable for skin-to-skin care for medical reasons (as decided by the attending Consultant Neonatologist).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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0 participants in 1 patient group

Skin-to-skin care with SNUBY

Experimental group

Description:

Mothers providing skin-to-skin care with the use of SNUBY

Treatment:

Other: SNUBY