The umbilical venous catheter is a device commonly used in premature newborns during their first hours of life because it provides quick, easy, and very effective access. Until now, skin-to-skin contact, that is, placing the naked baby on the bare chest of one of the parents, was not a standard practice with this type of catheter.

Recently, the Spanish Society of Neonatal Nursing (SEEN) awarded a grant to disseminate a study conducted in the Neonatology Service of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital titled “Perceptions and experiences of parents of premature newborns with an umbilical venous vatheter who dave performed skin-to-skin contact.” The team's goal is to spread scientific knowledge to extend this early practice to other centres.

The benefits of skin-to-skin contact are multiple, including physiological regulation, strengthening of the immune system, neurodevelopment, and emotional bonding, among others. Additionally, evidence described so far suggests that the earlier this procedure, also known as “kangaroo care,” is carried out, and the more continuous it is, the better the neurodevelopment will be. However, many parents may feel insecure about the practice, which may cause a delay in its implementation.

In the first phase of the research, the safety of patients with an umbilical venous catheter who performed skin-to-skin contact was specifically studied. Once safety was assured, the second phase focused on understanding the parents' perception of safety and their experiences.

First, the team took on the task of informing families about the procedure, its benefits, and its risks, so they could make an informed decision. The study involved 190 patients, of whom 74% engaged in skin-to-skin contact, either in the prone or lateral position, within the first 48 hours of life while carrying an umbilical venous catheter. Finally, through a questionnaire with both open and closed questions, the experiences of the patients who reported feeling safe during the procedure were analyzed, and they recommended the practice of skin-to-skin contact to other families.

Vall d'Hebron has become a reference point for the use of this practice, as it is the first published study that references skin-to-skin contact in neonates with an umbilical catheter. “The umbilical venous catheter has been a limitation for some professionals up to now. If this study helps demonstrate that it is safe for both the patient and the parents, we may promote this early skin-to-skin contact,” says Elena Carrillo, a nurse in the Neonatology Service at Vall d'Hebron Hospital and a researcher in the Multidisciplinary Nursing Research Group at Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).

The research was carried out by an interdisciplinary team at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, consisting of healthcare professionals from the Neonatology Service: Fátima Camba, Alicia Montaner, Laura Merayo, Elena Carrillo, Laura González, Isabel Ramos, Irene Puerta, together with the methodological support of Patricia Rubio, a knowledge management nurse and member of the Multidisciplinary Nursing Research Group (VHIR). The key to the study’s success has been the multidisciplinary collaboration, which has aimed to gather as much data as possible and worked following the same strategic line.