Kangaroo Care Case Study

Kangaroo care is the action of giving skin-to-skin contact with the parent. This is done by putting the baby in minimal clothing, usually just a diaper, and placing the baby skin-to-skin to the bare chest of the parent. There have always been positive effects to kangaroo care. Some of the positive effects of it are temperature regulation, respiration, and the stabilization of the baby’s heart rate. It is also found to help with bonding and helping with breastfeeding. When the parent performs kangaroo care, they hold the baby and are more confident when they leave the hospital. Kangaroo care is for most babies. Pre-term babies also have good results with kangaroo care.

In 1978, a neonatologist came up with the idea that would help with the shortage of resources. He thought that the contact between the mother and baby provide easy breastfeeding and warmness for the baby. This caused research to be started. There was research done in 1989 where they compared 35 infants that had skin-to-skin contact and 36 infants who had normal contact. In that study they found that lactation lasted longer in the kangaroo care group. The articles found that the patient with kangaroo care also showed less hesitancy when leaving the hospital. They felt better prepared for their jobs as parents.

There was another study done by a midwife that was looking at the relationship between the NICU and kangaroo care. The study noticed that the stay in the NICU was decreased by one day when they participated in kangaroo care. This study also found that more kangaroo care babies were discharged breastfeeding. The studies also found that even in sick babies that there were positive results. The skin to skin contact with the baby proves to help the mother with...

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...or the father. The father providing kangaroo care makes the baby more attached to the father and it provides a way for them to bond. This can also be applied in the NICU setting. Mothers that have babies in the NICU, the mothers can come visit the baby can practice kangaroo care. The babies in the NICU usually have problems with thermoregulation, and by providing kangaroo care; the baby’s temperature can be regulated. The mother’s milk takes some time to come in. by providing kangaroo care, the skin-to-skin contact helps the mother produce milk quicker. By studying the research that has been done on kangaroo care, the nurse can perform evidence-based practice and use kangaroo care at their job. Using the research, the nurse is able to apply this knowledge and create a bond between the baby and it’s parents. It also can help the baby, whether it is sick or healthy.