Oral Presentation The Inaugural Medical Parents of Australia & New Zealand Conference 2016: Leading a Double Life

Kangaroo mother care: for premature babies and beyond   (#11)

Michelle Hamrosi 1
  1. Surf Beach Surgery, Broulee, NSW, Australia

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) involves early and prolonged skin to skin contact between the baby and mother, exclusive breastfeeding, early discharge from hospital and close follow up at home. Many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) around Australia, are adopting policies, upskilling staff and updating the NICU environment to support parents to KMC for their babies, even the sickest smallest babies. Over three decades of KMC research have outline the many benefits to KMC including physical, emotional, mental, breastfeeding and for staff and parents. Despite the plethora of information regarding the positive outcome for babies that receive KMC, there are some barriers to its routine implementation in many NICUs. KMC can be continued upon discharge from the hospital. Babywearing is an important tool that parents can use to continue KMC.

  1. Boundy EO, Dastjerdi R, Spiegelman D, et al. Kangaroo Mother Care and Neonatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 2016; 137(1)
  2. Hurst N M, Valentine C J, Refro L. et al Skin‐to‐skin holding in the neonatal intensive care unit influences maternal milk volume. Journal of Perinatology 1997; 17(3).
  3. Conde-Agudelo A, Diaz-Rossello JL, Belizam JM. Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011; 10(3)
  4. Tessier R, Cristo MB, Velez S, et al. Kangaroo Mother Care: a method for protecting high-risk low birth weight and premature infants against developmental delay. Infant Behavior and Development 2003; 26
  5. Scher M., Ludington-Hoe S, Kaffashi F, Johnson M W, Holditch-Davis D, Loparo K A, Neurophysiologic assessment of brain maturation after an 8-week trial of skin-to-skin contact on preterm infants. Clinical Neurophysiology, 2009;120(10)
  6. Ludington-Hoe S, Evidence-based review of physiologic effects of kangaroo care. Current Women’s Health Review. 2011; 7
  7. World Health Organization Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Kangaroo Mother Care: A Practical Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003 Available at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42587/1/9241590351.pdf
  8. Useful websites: http://ninobirth.org http://www.skintoskincontact.com http://www.kangaroomothercare.com http://www.healthynewbornnetwork.org/issue/kangaroo-mother-care/
  9. Premie babywearing part 1-4 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl1uCwoOJT4  Premie babywearing facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/158748344313193/ http://thebabywearingpractice.com.au