Kangaroo care can help your low birth weight baby thrive. Babies who participate in kangaroo care experience a decrease in time spent in the hospital, an increase in oxygen level and improvement in the parent-child bond, according to Pregnancy.org. While mothers traditionally use kangaroo care, fathers can also use this skin-to-skin contact procedure with their babies.
Identification
Parents who practice kangaroo care place their infants close to their chests for long periods of time, much the same way that a mother kangaroo keeps her baby close in her pouch. The Cleveland Clinic reports that kangaroo care began in the late 1970s in Colombia when researchers discovered that premature babies held close to their mothers' bodies had a better chance of surviving. Doctors recommend the practice for premature and low birth weight babies.
Procedure
Skin-to-skin contact is an essential part of kangaroo care. Mothers must take off their bras and open their shirts, while fathers must remove any undershirts and open their shirts before beginning kangaroo care. A nurse will place your baby on your chest. Because your baby will wear only a hat and diaper, you must cover him with your shirt or a blanket to keep him warm. You can practice kangaroo care from 20 minutes to four hours per day, according to Pregnancy.org.
Considerations
A mother's breasts can help maintain a baby's body temperature by changing temperature to adapt to the baby's needs. The Cleveland Clinic reports that the breasts can increase in temperature when the baby's body is cool and decrease in temperature when the baby becomes warm.
Benefits for the Baby
Babies who participate in kangaroo care experience more stable heart rates, improved breathing and oxygen saturation, longer periods of sleep, decreased crying and more success with breastfeeding. The University of Michigan Medical Center reports that preterm infants have more stable oxygen levels and experience fewer episodes of apnea when participating in kangaroo care. If your baby experiences apnea, you may notice that he occasionally stops breathing for a short period of time.
Kangaroo care also helps infants coordinate heart rate and breathing, which can be a problem for low birth weight infants. Because kangaroo care helps babies maintain a consistent body temperature, they no longer expend extra calories to warm or cool themselves and can instead use those calories to gain weight and grow.
Benefits for the Parents
Parents can also benefit from kangaroo care. In addition to improving the parent-child bond, the Cleveland Clinic reports that kangaroo care can increase the mother's breast milk supply and increase the parents' sense of control and confidence in their ability to care for their baby. Kangaroo care can also make it easier to breastfeed a baby for long time periods and reduce stress in parents.
