Dad's chest vs. incubator: new trial tests skin-to-skin transfer for tiniest babies
NCT ID NCT05820386
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether carrying a very preterm baby skin-to-skin on the father's chest from the delivery room to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) keeps the baby just as warm as the standard incubator transfer. About 118 babies born before 34 weeks will take part. The main goal is to see if skin-to-skin contact prevents heat loss as well as an incubator does.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- skin-to-skin contact (procedure)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that skin-to-skin transfer is a safe and effective alternative to incubator transfer for very preterm infants, potentially improving bonding and outcomes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (118 infants) focused on temperature stability, not long-term outcomes. The procedure may not keep babies warm enough, and results may not apply to all preterm infants.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 118 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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24 to 34 weeks
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Gestational age \< 34 weeks * Singleton pregnancy * Inborn birth, i.e., in the maternity ward of investigating centres * Need of hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit * Oral and written information of parents and written parental consent to participate in the study (by the father if the mother is unable to participate) Exclusion Criteria: * Single parent or homosexual couple * Absence of the father in the delivery room * Parents not speaking French * Skin temperature of the newborn \< 36°C at the time of randomization * Conditions not allowing the early skin-to-skin contact: omphalocele, gastroschisis, desquamating dermatological conditions (Harlequin syndrome, Collodion) * Clinical condition requiring a specific transfer mode according to the pediatrician in the delivery room * Parents under legal protection * Minor parents
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CHU Angers
Angers, 49000, France
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Neonatal and paediatric service, University Hospital, Tours
Tours, 37000, France
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Neonatal medicine and intensive care unit, University Hospital, Orléans
Orléans, 45000, France
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Neonatology service, University Hospital, Toulouse
Toulouse, 31300, France
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