Physiological Effects of Kangaroo Care(skin-to-skin care) in Small Preterm Infants and Their Parents

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Kangaroo care is the practice of holding a small premaure infant, naked except for a diaper and hat, against a parent's chest. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and feasibility of kangaroo care in a NICU as defined by physiological variables. MEHTODS: Ten stable, spontaneously breathing preterm infants, weighing less than 2,000gm were included in this 60-min. Kangaroo care (kc) study. Physiological variables, including heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, skin and core temperature, pulse oximetry oxygen saturation and maternal serum prolactin were measured before, during and after kc. RESULTS: Kc did not significantly affect any of these infants' physiological variables before and during kc. Maternal core temperature rose significantly during kc (36.7+/-0.4 degree (C) vs 37.0+/-0.2 degree (C), P< 0.05). After kc, the mean prolactin level (233.3+/-240.6ng/ml) of mothers was higher than the preceding day(81.9+/-94.2ng/ml) and before kc (71.2+/-96.3ng/ml) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: For stables preterm infants weighing less than 2,000gm, 60min of kc is safe and well tolerated. The beneficial effects of kc such as stability of the preterm infants receiving kc and increase of maternal prolactin after kc suggest the need to incorporate it into standards of care.