Maternal holding during therapeutic hypothermia for infants with neonatal encephalopathy is feasible.

Aim: Concerns for infant destabilisation often prohibit parental holding of infants during therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We assessed the feasibility of maternal holding during TH, as the inability to hold can impede bonding.

Methods: Vital signs were assessed in stable infants before, at two-minute intervals during and 30 minutes after a single 30-minute holding session.