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Kangaroo care — early and continuous maternal skin-to-skin contact — in preterm infants has a sustained beneficial effect on cognition, sleep, executive function, and maternal anxiety (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Feb 2014 and Biol Psychiatry 2013 Oct 3; [e-pub]). In addition, it has been shown to improve breast-feeding, cardiorespiratory stability, and responses to procedural pain.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and observational studies of neonatal outcomes in newborns who received kangaroo care. Of 124 studies included in the analysis, 44% were randomized controlled trials and 68% examined preterm infants. The duration of kangaroo care was <2 hours per day in 48% of studies.
Pooled analyses showed that compared to conventional care, kangaroo care was associated with a significant 36% decrease in mortality among low-birth-weight newborns. Kangaroo care was also associated with significant decreases in neonatal sepsis (47% lower), hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and hospital readmission. Other benefits were increased exclusive breast-feeding, lower mean respiratory rate, lower pain measures, and higher oxygen saturation, temperature, and head circumference growth.
Boundy EO et al. Kangaroo mother care and neonatal outcomes: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2015 Dec 22; [e-pub]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2238)
Comment
The most dramatic findings of this study were the effect of kangaroo care on infant mortality and neonatal sepsis. Although most of the benefits were seen in preterm infants, they were also found to a smaller degree in full-term newborns. This review provides strong support for kangaroo care as a standard of care, especially for premature infants.