The effect of father–infant skin-to-skin contact on father–infant bonding: A narrative review

Abstract

Father–infant bonding is an important component of early parenthood and is associated with infants’ socio-emotional development and fathers’ adaptation to the parenting role. Skin-to-skin contact is a simple, low-cost intervention in which an unclothed newborn is placed prone on a caregiver’s bare chest. Although the literature has traditionally focused on mother–infant contact, father-delivered skin-to-skin contact may be especially relevant when maternal contact is delayed, such as after cesarean birth or during neonatal intensive care. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on father-delivered skin-to-skin contact and its effects on father–infant bonding, paternal stress, and related neonatal outcomes, and discusses nursing implications. Father-specific studies suggest that early or repeated father-delivered skin-to-skin contact is generally associated with higher paternal bonding or attachment scores, lower paternal stress, and acceptable physiologic stability in newborns. However, the available evidence is heterogeneous in design, sample size, setting, timing, and outcome measures, and the terms bonding and attachment are used inconsistently across studies. Father-delivered skin-to-skin contact should therefore be presented as a complementary, family-centered approach when maternal skin-to-skin contact is temporarily delayed, rather than as a replacement for timely maternal contact. Nurses and midwives have an important role in identifying appropriate candidates, ensuring safety, educating parents, and reducing organizational barriers. Further high-quality studies are needed to define optimal timing, duration, and long-term family outcomes.