Presenter(s)
Ashia Meister
Abstract
Preterm infants face significant neurodevelopmental risks due to the interruption of late gestation brain maturation. Early skin to skin contact has emerged as a low cost intervention that supports sensory regulation, physiological stability, and neural development. This honors project synthesizes current evidence on how early skin to skin contact influences cognitive, motor, language, and socio emotional outcomes in preterm infants and translates these findings into an educational presentation for pre licensure nursing students. Across studies, early and sustained skin to skin contact is associated with improved brain activity, behavioral organization, and developmental scores in infancy, with additional evidence of structural and functional benefits into early childhood. Implementation varies widely due to differences in timing, duration, and clinical protocols, as well as barriers such as delayed initiation until medical stability, parental participation challenges, privacy concerns, and staffing limitations. By strengthening nursing students’ knowledge and confidence in supporting early skin to skin care, this project aims to promote evidence based neonatal practices that improve developmental outcomes for preterm infants.
College
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Department
Nursing
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Megan Anibas
Second Advisor/Mentor
Stephanie Ryan
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 11:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1b=10am-11am
Poster Number
54
The Impact of Early Skin-to-Skin Contact on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Preterm infants face significant neurodevelopmental risks due to the interruption of late gestation brain maturation. Early skin to skin contact has emerged as a low cost intervention that supports sensory regulation, physiological stability, and neural development. This honors project synthesizes current evidence on how early skin to skin contact influences cognitive, motor, language, and socio emotional outcomes in preterm infants and translates these findings into an educational presentation for pre licensure nursing students. Across studies, early and sustained skin to skin contact is associated with improved brain activity, behavioral organization, and developmental scores in infancy, with additional evidence of structural and functional benefits into early childhood. Implementation varies widely due to differences in timing, duration, and clinical protocols, as well as barriers such as delayed initiation until medical stability, parental participation challenges, privacy concerns, and staffing limitations. By strengthening nursing students’ knowledge and confidence in supporting early skin to skin care, this project aims to promote evidence based neonatal practices that improve developmental outcomes for preterm infants.
