Human babies have been relying on their mothers for physical contact, as a mother’s touch supports a baby’s breathing, heart rate, and temperature, and relieves stress. For preterm babies, who spend less than 37 weeks inside the mother’s womb, physical contact is very important, as it affects the baby’s nervous system, regulation of the body, brain development, and pain management. Hence, medical experts recommend skin-to-skin care therapy for preterm babies.Studies show that skin-to-skin care offers a range of short- and long-term benefits for premature babies.
Also called Kangaroo mother care, skin-to-skin care therapy should start immediately after the baby is born, without any initial period in the incubator for the baby.This marks a significant change, from early guidance in common clinical practice, reflecting the immense health benefits obtained from ensuring caregivers can stay close to the preterm baby, without being separated after birth.
Most preterm babies can be saved through feasible cost-effective measures that include quality care, before and after childbirth, prevention and management of common infections, kangaroo mother care or skin-to-skin contact for as many hours as possible with the primary caregiver and mother, and exclusive breastfeeding.Being with their parents is not only critical for the survival of the baby but also for the long-term health outcomes for small and pre-term babies.
Use of Kangaroo Mother Care
Early continuous and pronounced Kangaroo mother care is a gentle and effective method that avoids the agitation that is routinely experienced by preterm infants. This method contributes to the humanization of neonatal care and builds a better bond between the mother and baby, in low and high-income countries. It is a modern method of care, where adequate technological care is available.
Mortality and Morbidity
Talking about the mortality and morbidity rate of infants going through Kangaroo Mother Care, evidence shows that this method does not necessarily improve the survival rate, but it does not even reduce it. While for morbidity, there is no strong evidence of the efficiency of the method, there is also no evidence of it being harmful.
Breast Feeding and Growth of Infants
Breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact has shown to be very effective in babies, to avoid the risk of hypothermia, maintaining a monitored heart rate, respiratory rate, and respiration pattern, oxygenation requirement and consumption, blood glucose and sleep patterns of the baby, behaviour, and vision, compared to those babies who are separated from their mothers after birth.
Requirements to be observed during Kangaroo care
The caregiver, mother, and the members of the baby’s family need to be educated about when they can start with Skin-to-skin care, maternity policy facilities, staffing, abilities, and needs of the mother, supplement binders, clothing of the mother, clothing of the baby, record keeping, feeding requirements of the babies, discharge and home care consultations, practice guide, for a better caregiving experience.
(The article is written by Dr. Vittal Kumar Kesireddy, Consultant – Paediatrics & Neonatology, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad)
