Kangaroo care in pre-term or low birth weight babies in a postnatal ward

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact with mother) with standard care (next to the mother in a cot) for premature, low birth weight and babies of diabetic mothers in a transitional care ward setting. Method: This was a cohort study undertaken in a transitional care/postnatal ward of a UK district general hospital. The study involved 214 babies (107 in the study group, 107 in the control group) with a gestation 34-36+6 weeks, small for gestational age and babies of diabetic mothers. Babies in the study group had Kangaroo care following birth up to 6 weeks of age. Control group had standard care (in the cot next to the mother). The main outcome measure was the length of hospital stay. The secondary outcome measures were breastfeeding at discharge from hospital and at 6 weeks, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and parent satisfaction. Results: There was a significant reduction in mean length of stay (4.33 vs. 5.01 days, P = 0.017, 95% CI 3.93-4.73 and 4.58-5.44) in the study group compared to the control. There was also an increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates on discharge from hospital in the study group (72% vs. 55% P = 0.01, OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.18-3.69). There were no differences in feeding outcomes at 6 weeks, or in admission to NICU. Conclusions: Kangaroo care is a simple intervention that reduces length of hospital stay and improves breastfeeding rates on discharge from hospital for babies cared for in a transitional care/postnatal ward setting. Parents rate Kangaroo care highly, especially in the first 2 weeks following birth.