How Kangaroo Care Can Help Your Baby’s Health

What is Kangaroo Care?

                                                                                                  

Kangaroo Care (KC) simply put is holding your baby, who is only wearing a diaper, against your bare chest. The baby’s back may be covered with a blanket or an article of clothing to reinforce the sensation of being in mom or dad’s “pouch.” (Click the link above for a video explanation).

What will this do for my child?

            Kangaroo Care (KC) has been studied for its effect on mortality, morbidity, physiological stability, breastfeeding, parental bonding, development, and pain control. There are several known benefits from this skin-to-skin contact:

·      Helps regulate the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and body temp~A mother’s breasts will change temperature in response to the infant’s temperature. If the infant is cold, her breasts will warm up a bit to warm the them and vice versa. 

o   Holding your child so closely will also tech them to regulate their heart rate and breathing to match yours.

·      Improves Oxygen circulation~ As the baby’s breathing becomes more regulated, this will increase the oxygen that is being delivered to the baby’s organs and different tissues, allowing for growth & development of the organs as well as weight gain.

·      Helps calm the baby~ Being in the womb for so long gives infants the chance to learn  mom’s voice and the sound of her heart beat. This is why being held so closely to her chest can be comforting for them.

·      Imposes better sleep~ Infants who receive KC will have better sleep which assists in growth and development.

·      Promotes brain development~ A calmer, less stressed infant will receive better sleep. In combination with better oxygen circulation, healthier brain development will be promoted.

·      Boosts immune system~ Skin-to-skin contact will expose your child to healthy bacteria which will enhance their immune system.

·      Helps baby to put on weight~ Using the parent’s skin for temperature regulation allows infants to conserve more calories, leading to weight gain.

·      Promotes breastfeeding and bonding~Infants being held so close to mom’s bare skin likely will trigger the rooting reflex(during the first few weeks of life), increasing the likelihood that they will breastfeed. 

o   Being held for an hour or so by a parent allows the infant to recognize their parent’s smell so to speak.

How do I Successfully Perform KC?

·     You are going to want to start as soon as you are able (consult with your doctor/nurse)

·     Your infant should only be wearing a diaper, mothers should remove bra, dads should be bare chested, and you should have a shirt or sweater that opens in the front

·     Once infant is comfortably on your chest, cover them with a blanket (to mimic a kangaroo’s pouch), and zip or button up your shirt/sweater

·     This should typically be done once or twice a day for at least an hour as long as your infant tolerates it

·     The longer the better

·     Avoid performing other activities during KC such as fast rocking, talking on the phone, etc.

·     Softly talking to your baby, singing or reading a book is good for brain growth & development 

Some things to note:

·     You aren’t going to want to perform Kangaroo Care with your baby if you have recently applied perfume or have smoked. 

·     Falling asleep during Kangaroo Care is perfectly safe, provided you are in a setting such as a hospital where someone can keep an eye on you and your child and you are wearing a certain type of wrap that will keep the baby in place. Never fall asleep while holding your baby at home.

Interesting Facts~

·     Performing Kangaroo Care is actuallyeconomically beneficial. Studies have shown a decrease in length of hospital stay and a decreased likelihood you’ll need to return to the hospital 

Less time in the hospital →Less resources used = Less $$ spent

• Kangaroo Care is great for full term infants as well as premature
• This “treatment” is also helpful in promoting milk production in mom’s body as well as increasing the chances of breastfeeding
• Kangaroo care does not haveto be done by mom or dad, though it is preferred
• KC was developed in the 1970’s in countries where traditional incubators were unavailable

By Gabrielle Osborne 

References

Campbell-Yeo, M. L., Disher, T. C., Benoit, B.L., & Johnston, C. C. (2015). Understanding

kangaroo care and its benefits to preterm infants. DovePress, Volume 6, Pages 15-32.

Lowson, K., Offer, C., Watson, J., McGuire, B., & Renfrew, M. (2015). The economic benefits 

of increasing kangaroo skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding in neonatal units: analysis of a 

pragmatic intervention in clinical practice. International Breastfeeding Journal. Volume, 

10:11.

NationwideChildren’s. (2013, March 7). How to Kangaroo Care with your baby. Retrieved from 

https://youtu.be/_MateX87u9k

NationwideChildren’s. (2018, August). Kangaroo Care for Your Infant. Retrieved from 

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-

safety-resources/helping-hands/kangaroo-care-for-your-infant

Pampers. (2019). Kangaroo Care Benefits. Retrieved from us/newborn-baby/premature-

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