Kangaroo
Care Benefits
The KC procedure does not increase
the risk of mortality for premature infants. On the contrary, it
provides a physical environment as safe as the incubator. For this
reason, the technique is now practiced in many developed as well as
developing countries (Charpark, Ruiz-Pelaez, Charpark & Rey-Martinez,
1994; Sloan, Camacho, Rojas & Stem, 1994).
Physiological
evidence
Babies
spend more time in quiet sleep (Acolet et al., 1989) and this result
persists after 6 months (Gale et al., 1993)
Longer
alert states and less crying at 6 months (Whitelaw et al., 1988)
Their
heart rate is lower and more stable (Ludington et al., 1996)
Apnea
and bradycardia decrease (Fohe et al., 2000)
Body
temperature is maintained and oxygenation and gas exchange improves
(Fischer et al,
1998; Ludington & Golant, 1993; Acolet et al., 1989; Bauer et
al., 1996; Fohe et al., 2000)
Improvement
of arousal regulation and stress reactivity (Michelsson et al.,
1996; Mooncey et al., 1997)
Analgesic
effect during painful medical procedure (Gray, Watt, & Blass,
2000)
Prolonged
and augmented breastfeeding rates (Charpark, Figueroa, & Ruiz,
1998; Ramanathan et al., 2001)
Faster
growth rates and earlier discharge from hospital (Kambrani, Chdede,
& Kowo, 1999)
Psychological
evidence
Mothers
reported more positive feelings towards the baby and lower maternal
stress (Tallandini & Scalembra, 2006)
Mother
had a better
sense of their parenting role (Affonso et al.,1993)
Mothers
were less depressed (Feldman, 2002)
Perceived
their infant as less abnormal (Feldman, 2002)
Increased
maternal behaviour during hospitalisation period (Feldman, 2002)
Mothers
felt more confident and competent in meeting their baby needs (Tessier
et al., 1998)
Babies
were more alert and more responsive (Feldman et al., 2002; Tessier
et al., 1998; Tallandini & Scalembra, in press)
Babies
had higher developmental rates (Feldman et al., 2002)
Babies
improved their abilities to make understandable requests and to make
appropriate responses to maternal stimulation (Tallandini &
Scalembra, 2006)
Following
KC procedure being adopted by the mother, mother
and father were more sensitive and less intrusive, the family style
was more cohesive positive
and it has shown a long term positive effect on the whole family
environment (Feldman et al., 2003)
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