Preterm twins cardio-respiratory, thermal and maternal breast temperature responses to shared kangaroo care

Abstract

Kangaroo Care (KC) is practiced in Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) rather frequently but predominantly with mothers of single infant. Mothers of twins often expressed a desire to do KC with their twins. Simultaneously holding both twins is called Shared Kangaroo Care (SKC). Two previous case studies of SKC could be found and have encouraged the practice of SKC prior to sufficient evidence of acceptable cardiorespiratory and thermal responses. The current study describes the effects of SKC on preterm twins’ cardio-respiratory and thermal responses to SKC and test the correlation between infant’s skin temperature and maternal breast temperature. Five triads were recruited. Thus, data from 10 infants and five mothers (5 triads) were collected. Infant Heart rate (HR), Respiratory rate (RR), infant oxygen saturation level (SaO2), skin temperature and maternal right and left breast temperature were recorded every 30 s during a 5 min baseline (incubator) and during SKC holding period. Majority of infants tolerated SKC well. The Shared KC means for each vital sign did not appear to be clinically different than those obtained during baseline when infants were in separate incubators. The majority of breasts increased their temperature over the course of SKC. Maternal breast temperature means were positively, highly, and significantly correlated to infant skin temperature means during SKC. Further studies with a larger sample and controlled design are merited. Key words: Twin, kangaroo care, cardio-respiratory, breast temperature.