Intervention and Procedure
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The intervention consisted of SSC between either parent and their very preterm infant (or infants) initiated immediately after birth (SSC group) and continued throughout the first 6 hours after birth and was compared with conventional care in an incubator or cot (control group). Electronic randomization was performed by research staff when birth was imminent. Twins were allocated to the same study group. During the intervention period, only the place of care differed; all other monitoring, nursing, and medical care were identical in both groups, as previously described in the IPISTOSS research protocol in 