Figure 1

Flow diagram. Definition of the treatment groups: "Skin-to-skin group" – comprised of infants lying skin-to-skin on their mother's chest 25–120 minutes after birth at the delivery ward with later rooming-in at the maternity ward. "Mother's arms group" – comprised of dressed infants lying on their mother's chest 25–120 minutes after birth at the delivery ward with later rooming-in at the maternity ward. "Nursery group" – comprised of dressed babies kept in a cot in a labour ward nursery 25–120 minutes after birth and remained at the maternity ward nursery without rooming-in with their mothers. "Reunion group" – comprised of dressed babies kept in a cot in a labour ward nursery 25–120 minutes after birth, but then taken to the maternity ward for rooming-in with their mothers.