Kangaroo Care Research Paper

Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact. It is defined as the way of “holding a preterm or full term infant so that there is skin-to-skin contact between the infant and the person holding it.” The baby, who is naked except for a diaper and a piece of cloth covering his or her back (either a receiving blanket or the parent's clothing), is placed in an upright position against a parent's bare chest. This snuggling of the infant inside the pouch of their parent's shirt, much like a kangaroo's pouch, led to the creation of the term "kangaroo care" (Cleveland Clinic).

There are many benefits of skin-to-skin contact or kangaroo care for mother and infant and there is even evidence of kangaroo care being beneficial

The nurse should develop a close and trusting relationship with the mother and the entire family or whoever her support system is and let them know that the nurse is there to answer any questions or concerns that the mother might have (Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing). The nurse should educate the family on the benefits of kangaroo care and explain to them the importance of skin-to-skin contact and how to implement this contact on a day to day basis. Before the baby is born it is important for the nurse to talk to the mother about the importance of skin-to-skin contact and what they can expect in the moments following the birth of her child. The first contact that a newborn and a mother have is hopefully immediately after childbirth when the nurse places the infant on his or her mother’s bare chest. It is ideal for skin-to-skin contact to take place for at least 30 minutes out of the first hour after birth, but any skin-to-skin contact is beneficial. The nurse could also use skin-to-skin contact time to educate the mother on breastfeeding and helping the baby latch on to feed during this time (Nursing for Women’s Health). Skin-to-skin contact should be used more often than just for feeding times, it is beneficial to do even when the baby is sleeping for bonding purposes. Nurses can place the baby on the baby’s mother or father under a blanket for kangaroo care if the baby is a little cold, or if the baby has fast respirations but their oxygen saturation is normal, kangaroo care can help regulate respirations and possibly save the baby a trip to the NICU as well (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Communication, education and encouragement are three of the most important things a nurse can give to a new mother or any patient they might have. Patients, especially new mothers want to know that they can trust the person that is taking care of her and