Immediate contact between mother and newborn in the first hour of life: a cross-sectional study

Objective: to compare population and care characteristics of adherence to immediate contact between mother and newborn in the first hour of life in two public maternity hospitals at usual risk. Methods: cross-sectional study with 105 mothers after normal delivery and their respective newborns in the first hour of life in two maternity hospitals with Prepartum, Labor, and Puerperium units. We used an instrument with 36 questions based on the National Guidelines of Assistance to Normal Birth. Analysis was based on the chi-square test for homogeneity and Fisher's exact test to compare the assistance provided in maternity hospitals. Results: both maternity hospitals attended the usual risk binomials. Regarding the assistance provided, only the federal maternity promoted encouragement of immediate contact between mother and newborn in the first hour of life, besides favouring 7.1% (n=3) of the binomials with the golden hour in a correct and significant way (p=0.037). Conclusion: despite the similarity of the assistance profile, only one maternity hospital performed the golden hour, being necessary the insertion of good practices in maternity hospitals. Contributions to practice: direct observation of the assistance provided to binomial identified gaps in the format and and durability of the immediate contact in maternity hospitals.