Preterm SNUBY® Pilot
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study of the SNUBY®, a skin-to-skin garment, in the preterm infant.
IRAS ID
235956
Contact name
Shalini Ojha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
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, we 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, we will analyse the safety and acceptability of using it on a larger scale to facilitate skin-to-skin care in preterm babies. We will gather information on the staff and mothers’ knowledge of skin-to-skin care and their experience of using SNUBY®.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EM/0008
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion