An analysis of the effects of intrapartum factors, neonatal characteristics, and skin-to-skin contact on early breastfeeding initiation

This study aims to determine relationships between intrapartum factors, neonatal characteristics, skin-to-skin contact (SSC), and early breastfeeding initiation after spontaneous vaginal and Caesarean section or operative vaginal birth. A total of 915 mother–newborn dyads were considered in a hypothetical model based on integrated concepts of breastfeeding initiation model, infant learning framework, and attachment theory. Multiple-group path analysis was used to determine whether differences exist between effects of immediate SSC (≤30 min) on early breastfeeding initiation in different modes of birth. SSC, mode of birth, labour duration, and neonatal intensive care unit admission were significantly associated with early breastfeeding initiation, as indicated by the path analysis model, which included all samples. Women with immediate SSC were more likely to initiate early breastfeeding in different modes of birth. In the spontaneous vaginal birth group, women showed a lower likelihood of initiating early breastfeeding when their neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and presented an Apgar score of <7 at 1 min. Multiple-group analysis showed no significant difference between effects of immediate SSC on early breastfeeding initiation in different modes of birth (critical ratio = −0.309). Results showed that models satisfactorily fitted the data (minimum discrepancy divided by degrees of freedom = 1.466–1.943, goodness of fit index = 0.981–0.986, comparative fit index = 0.947–0.955, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.023–0.032). Our findings emphasize the crucial importance of prioritizing promotion of immediate SSC under different modes of birth.