Abstract

Aim: This study aims to determine the effect of skin-to-skin contact between father and baby within the first three hours following childbirth on the level of paternal attachment.

Methods: Data were collected from 69 fathers between May-July 2018 with paternal infant attachment scale in Antalya Medical Park Hospital in Turkey in this quasi-experimental study.

Results: Total score of the fathers who established skin-to-skin contact with the babies was 82.34±7.76, and that of the control group was 66.07±18.2 (p<0.05). Moreover, the paternalinfant attachment level of the fathers in the study group who became fathers for the first time was higher than that of the control group.

Conclusion: The skin-to-skin contact between father and baby following childbirth was an effective practice in the transition to fatherhood.

Keywords: Paternal-infant attachment, skin-to-skin care, transition to fatherhood, father-baby contact, attachment, skin to skin contact.