The Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care Immediately after Delivery on Mother-infant Attachment 3 Months after Delivery

Abstract

Background The aim of this study was determine the effect of kangaroo mother care (KMC) immediately after delivery on mother-infant attachment 3-month after delivery. Materials and Methods: In this RCT study, 72 mother-infant pairs were randomly divided in to kangaroo mother care and routine care groups.The intervention group received kangaroo mother care (KMC) in the first two hours post birth. The control group just received routine hospital care. Mothers in the intervention group were encouraged to keep the baby in KMC as much as possible during the day and night throughout the neonatal period. Participants were followed up for three months after birth. The Main outcome measure was mother-infant attachment at 3 months postpartum and maternal anxiety about the baby at the same time. The data was collected by questionnaire (demographic information of parents and neonates) and maternal attachment scale. Analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 14). Results: There was no significant difference between two groups regarding their baseline data. Mean maternal attachment score in the KMC group and in the routine care group at three months after delivery was 52.40±3.30 and 49.86±4.18 respectively, which was significantly higher in the KMC group (P<0.05). Mean anxiety about the baby score at three months after delivery in the KMC and routine care group were 26.34±3.86 and 28.80±3.18, respectively, which was significantly lower in the KMC group (P<0.05). Conclusion Kangaroo mother care improves mother-infant attachment and reduces the mother anxiety about the baby; it is simple, acceptable to mothers and can be continued at home.