Mother-infant close body contact and maternal wellbeing: Exploring current literature and the feasibility of a sling study

Worldwide, a significant proportion of women experience symptoms of postnatal depression following childbirth. There is a need for low-cost, low-intensity early interventions to reduce symptoms of postnatal depression and support mothers’ well-being. Section One of this thesis describes a scoping review, which aimed to map out current literature regarding the impact of close body contact interventions (e.g. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) or Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC)) upon maternal psychological outcomes (e.g. mental health, parental self-efficacy, responsiveness, etc.). Section Two presents a feasibility study. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a randomised experimental study which examines the impact of providing free baby sling hire and sling-based support upon maternal mental health. The primary aim of this feasibility study was to gather information useful for estimating study parameters (recruitment rates, attrition, etc.) for a future, definitive, Randomised Control Trial.