Kangaroo Mother Care for Premature and Low Birth Weight Infants

Presenters

Emma Rahn, Cedarville UniversityFollow
Bethany Hotchkiss, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Type of Submission

Poster

Campus Venue

Dixon Ministry Center, Alumni Hall

Location

Cedarville, OH

Start Date

4-10-2013 1:00 PM

End Date

4-10-2013 5:00 PM

Comments

Abstract:

Due to an overwhelming number of babies born prematurely each year, new interventions are being introduced and studied. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), the prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother/father and the infant, has been studied and has been shown to be a more beneficial alternative to care for both the infant and the parents. The purpose of this paper is to compare the holistic outcome of KMC to that of conventional care (incubators and radiators). The research team consisted of two Cedarville nursing students, Emma Rahn and Bethany Hotchkiss. For our paper, the Iowa model was used to guide our research. Four triggers were assigned. There are two knowledge based triggers: new research and philosophies of care, and two problem based triggers: financial data and identification of the clinical problem (Titler, 2011). The research databases searched were PubMed and CPS (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2012). We used the PICO model to guide our selection of articles. The population we focused on was made up of premature and low birth weight infants and their parents. The intervention we are proposing is KMC, and it is being compared to conventional care strategies. The pertinent outcomes we looked for were the physical and psychological effects on the mother and baby. In the end, eight articles were selected. Overall, KMC proved to be more beneficial than conventional care in eight areas. When KMC was utilized, there was a decrease in infant mortality, morbidity, cost of care, and future health and behavioral problems in the first year. Also, there was an increase in parental involvement, maternal health, infant growth, and exclusive breastfeeding. It is clear that KMC promotes physical and psychological well-being for premature infants and their parents. After reviewing all information found, we conclude that KMC is more beneficial than conventional care and should be implemented whenever possible and appropriate in both developed and developing countries.

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