Understanding kangaroo care and its benefits to preterm infants

Abstract

The holding of an infant with ventral skin-to-skin contact typically in an upright position with the swaddled infant on the chest of the parent, is commonly referred to as kangaroo care (KC), due to its simulation of marsupial care. It is recommended that KC, as a feasible, natural, and cost-effective intervention, should be standard of care in the delivery of quality health care for all infants, regardless of geographic location or economic status. Numerous benefits of its use have been reported related to mortality, physiological (thermoregulation, cardiorespiratory stability), behavioral (sleep, breastfeeding duration, and degree of exclusivity) domains, as an effective therapy to relieve procedural pain, and improved neurodevelopment. Yet despite these recommendations and a lack of negative research findings, adoption of KC as a routine clinical practice remains variable and underutilized. Furthermore, uncertainty remains as to whether continuous KC should be recommended in all settings or if there is a critical period of initiation, dose, or duration that is optimal. This review synthesizes current knowledge about the benefits of KC for infants born preterm, highlighting differences and similarities across low and higher resource countries and in a non-pain and pain context. Additionally, implementation considerations and unanswered questions for future research are addressed.

Learning to parent from Google? Evaluation of available online health evidence for parents of preterm infants requiring neonatal intensive care

“…7 Skin-to-skin contact between parents and their infant is heavily encouraged in the NICU population due the significant benefits associated with greater temperature regulation, physiological stability, attachment, pain reduction, and improved neurodevelopment. 25,26 Additionally, feeding is of prevalent concern for parents as preterm infants often have difficulty establishing breastfeeding and may require expressed breastmilk or oral supplemental feeding. 27,28 It is essential that parents are provided with accurate information when they need it: too much information may cause anxiety, while too little may create fear.…”

Physiological benefits to parents from undertaking skin‐to‐skin contact with their neonate, in a neonatal intensive special care unit

“…Skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC) is where a neonate has direct SSC with their parent's chest, whilst wearing only a nappy, with their legs in a frog‐like position and their head turned to face the side . The use of SSC was first introduced by medical professionals to NISC Units by Rey and Martinez in Bogota, Colombia, in 1978, as a way to cope with a shortage of incubators at the hospital . Hospital staff previously had to place neonates in the same incubator, which led to increased rates of infection and a higher mortality rate of premature neonates .…”

“…Prior research on parental benefits from undertaking SSC with their neonate in a NISC Unit has primarily focused on the emotional and mental health benefits that parents, most often mothers, receive. In a systematic review, of eight articles on this topic, it was found that mothers who undertook SSC with their neonate had improved maternal outcomes, an increased sense of attachment and lower stress and anxiety levels, compared with mothers whose neonates were nursed in an incubator . In another systematic review focusing on 16 studies, it was found that mothers who undertook SSC on a regular basis had increased levels of bonding with their neonate, as well as higher levels of maternal satisfaction and higher breastfeeding rates .…”

Smerte=prosjektet COMFORTneo

“…Hudmot-hud-omsorg gir bedre utkomme for det premature barnet knyttet til fysiologisk stabilitet, søvn, amming, smertelindring, hjerneutvikling og foreldretilknytning (17). Hud-mot-hud-omsorg har også vist seg å ha flere fordeler for mor.…”

“…Det har gitt økt melkeproduksjon samt tidligere og sterkere tilknytning til barnet. Hudkontakt med barnet virker stressreduserende og gir en høyere grad av mestringsfølelse relatert til morsrollen (17 …”