Sammanfattning
Background: Skin-to-skin care (SSC) has advantages for parents and child.
Objective: To describe similarities and differences between Neonatal Intensive Care Units at
university and county hospitals regarding practical and organisational conditions and staff’s
perceptions of SSC.
Methods: A questionnaire study was carried out, with one questionnaire at unit level (N=19) and one
for a sample of staff at these units (N=463).
Results: All units and a sample of staff (n=322; 69.5%) filled in the questionnaires. All units offered
SSC, and a majority attempted to initiate the first SSC as early as possible. A majority of stable
premature infants received SSC up to 6 hours a day. Infant-parent interaction, bonding and the
infant’s development were considered the most important factors for SSC by staff. Concerns about the
child’s stability were considered the most important barrier. Practical and organisational conditions
were arranged best for SSC at county hospitals, while the staff at university hospitals was more
comfortable in arranging SSC for the most fragile infants. Approximately half of all units had written
guidelines and parental information regarding SSC.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate a need for changes in neonatal care to ensure that parents and
child are not separated unnecessarily during the hospital stay.