What is kangaroo care?
Kangaroo care is a way of holding a premature baby so that there is
skin-to-skin contact. The baby, wearing only a diaper, is held upright
against the parent's bare chest. The name kangaroo care is used
because the method is similar to how a baby kangaroo is carried by its
mother.
Where did it start?
According to Katie Brietbach, R.N.C., N.C., of the Pediatric Nursing
Division at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, kangaroo
care began in South America, where premature babies were sent home
snuggled between their mothers' breasts, being fed only breastmilk.
The method spread to countries in Europe and then to the United
States, where an estimated 200 neonatal intensive-care units practice
kangaroo care, up from about 70 in the early 1990s.
Why is it used?
Kangaroo care is often used with premature babies because the close
contact with the parent can stabilize the baby's heartbeat,
temperature and breathing. Premature babies have a hard time
coordinating their breathing and heart rates (often called coupling).
As the baby's heart rate increases, there could be an increase of
apnea, which is a temporary loss of breathing. Studies have shown and
many medical professionals agree that kangaroo care can help the baby
better coordinate its breathing and heart rate. However, some doctors
believe premature babies are too fragile to be held, and that close
contact with parents can increase the risk of infection.
Kangaroo care and breastfeeding
Mothers who use kangaroo care can have more success with breastfeeding
and improve their milk supply. Premature babies (particularly those
less than 34 weeks gestational age) often suck better at the breast
than the bottle, because premature babies are usually not able to
control the flow of milk from a bottle. At the breast, preemies can
coordinate the suck, swallow, breath sequence better.
What the research shows
Susan Ludington, a professor of maternal and child health nursing at
the University of Maryland at Baltimore and author of "Kangaroo
Care: The Best You Can Do for Your Premature Infant," has
conducted several studies on kangaroo care. Her research has found
that
kangaroo care conserves a baby's energy and increases milk
production in mothers. Kangaroo care can also boost a premature baby's
brain development, according to Ludington. She has found that for a
30-week-old preemie, a 10-minute session of close contact with a
parent can increase the fusion of the preemie's brain cells.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland
conducted a case study in which a mother with eclampsia (convulsions
that happen either during or immediately after pregnancy) practiced
kangaroo care with her premature baby in order to breastfeed. Because
of the mother's condition, the kangaroo care sessions were closely
monitored by medical professionals. The study showed that kangaroo
care allowed the mother to successfully nurse.
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