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Kangaroo Care

Promotion of skin-to-skin contact with your infant

Kangaroo care was developed in 1978 in response to a lack of resources available in hospitals to keep infant's warm. The idea came from the care that kangaroos provide their offsprings. 

(Evereklian & Posmontier, 2017, p.13)

Newborn Baby with Mom

How to perform Kangaroo Care

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  • Undress your infant down to their diaper 

  • Place them directly on your chest in a vertical and prone (tummy facing down) position, with arms and legs flexed (frog-like), and head turned to one side

(Ludington-Hoe, 2013)

Proven Benefits

  • Promotes rest (Ludington-Hoe, 2013, p. 74)

    • accelerates brain maturation​

    • promotes brain connectivity and complexity 

  • Improves self-regulation (Ludington-Hoe, 2013, p. 74)

    • the ability for the infant to act and respond appropriately in varying situations (maintain arousal and engage with others at appropriate times)

  • Reduces pain (Ludington-Hoe, 2013, p. 74)

    • compelling evidence in reducing the infants perception of pain ​

  • Improves state regulation â€‹â€‹(Ludington-Hoe, 2013, p. 74)

    • ​appropriate physical and emotional response to internal/external stimuli 

  • Improves parent-infant bonding (Evereklian & Posmontier, 2017, p. 11)

  • Reduces stress (Ludington-Hoe, 2013, p. 74-75)

    • oxytocin is released which induces a decrease in stress hormones​

  • Improves physiological functioning (Evereklian & Posmontier, 2017, p. 11)

    • enhanced oxygen saturation and improved respiratory status ​

  • Improves immune system â€‹(Kwah et al., 2018, p. 95)

  • Promotes longer and more exclusive breastfeeding  â€‹(Kwah et al., 2018, p. 95)

  • Promotes infant weight gain (Evereklian & Posmontier, 2017, p. 11)

The information contained in this website should not be used as a substitute for the medical care or advice from your pediatrician. Your pediatrician may have specific recommendations based on your child's individual circumstances. 

References

Evereklian, M., & Posmontier, B. (2017). The impact of kangaroo care on premature infant weight gain. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 34, 10-16.

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Kwah, K., Whiteman, B., Grunfeld, E., Niccolls, C., & Wood, E. (2018). Evaluation of an intervention to increase clinician knowledge and confidence to support breastfeeding, kangaroo care, and positive touch within neonatal units. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 24, 94-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2017.10.003

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Ludington-Hoe, S. (2013). Kangaroo care as a neonatal therapy. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 13, 73-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.nainr.2013.03.004

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