This study was performed to investigate the effect of kangaroo care on body weight, physiological responses and behavioral states in premature infants. The subjects were 32 premature infants, fifteen for the kangaroo care group and seventeen for the control group, who hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit at a university-affiliated hospital. The kangaroo care was applied 8 times during the twenty five days with 40 minutes for each session. The kangaroo care provides the skin-to-skin contact during which a premature infant wearing a diaper and a hat is placed on its mother's chest. As for the measures, body weight was measured everyday. The levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and 17-OHCS were measured twice, before beginning the first intervention and after finishing the last intervention. While each session of the care is undergoing, such physiological responses were measured periodically as heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, core temperature and skin temperature. The results were as follows : 1. The weight gain was significantly greater in the kangaroo care group than that in the control group during the period of performing the kangaroo care. 2. No significant difference was revealed between the two groups in heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation and core temperature. The kangaroo care group also showed significant increases in the skin temperature. 3. The differences in the levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and 17-OHCS were not significant between the kangaroo care and the control groups. The level of norepinephrine in the two groups was significantly increased over time. 4. Sleep pattern changed significantly in the kangaroo group from a very restless sleep to a very quiet sleep. These results suggest that kangaroo care is an effective nursing intervention for premature infants in gaining weight, achieving stable physiological responses and facilitating a quiet sleep.

Citations

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• Effects for kangaroo care: systematic review & meta analysis
  Junghee Lim, Gaeun Kim, Yeonghee Shin
  Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2016; 17(3): 599.     CrossRef
• Effect of Kangaroo Care on Mental and Motor Development in Premature Infant and Maternal Role Confidence
  신화진, Insook Park
  JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH.2013; 17(2): 215.     CrossRef
• The Effects of Kangaroo Care on Maternal Self-esteem and Premature Infants' Physiological Stability
  Jihye Lee, Kyung-Sook Bang
  Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2011; 17(5): 454.     CrossRef
• Perception of Nurses and Physicians in Neonatal Intensive Care Units on Kangaroo Care
  Kyung-Sook Bang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Child Health Nursing.2011; 17(4): 230.     CrossRef
• Kangaroo Care on Premature Infant Growth and Maternal Attachment and Post-partum Depression in South Korea
  H. Y. Ahn, J. Lee, H.-J. Shin
  Journal of Tropical Pediatrics.2010; 56(5): 342.     CrossRef

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Kangaroo Care(KC) on anxiety, maternal role confidence, and maternal infant attachment of mothers who delivered preterm infants. METHODS: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest. Data was collected from September 1. 2006 to June 20. 2007. The participants were 22 mothers in the experimental group and 21 in the control group. KC was applied three times per day, for a total of ten times in 4 days to the experimental group. RESULTS: The degree of anxiety was statistically significantly different between the two groups but maternal role confidence and maternal infant attachment was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: This data suggests that KC was effective for mothers anxiety relief but it was not effective for maternal role confidence and maternal infant attachment of mothers. The implications for nursing practice and directions for future research need to be discussed.

Citations

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• Parental perception, knowledge, barriers and practice of kangaroo care for preterm infants in Indonesia
  Susri Utami, Mei-Chih Huang, Shan Tair Wang
  Journal of Neonatal Nursing.2023; 29(3): 529.     CrossRef
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  Junghee Lim, Gaeun Kim, Yeonghee Shin
  Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2016; 17(3): 599.     CrossRef
• Effects of Kangaroo Care on Physical Development and Adaptation of External Environment of Prematurity, and Maternal Role Confidence who Delivered Premature Infants
  Ji-Won Lee, Yong-Sook Eo, Jung Hwa Han
  Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2016; 17(12): 128.     CrossRef
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  Sun Jung Park, Shin Jeong Kim, Kyung Ah Kang
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  Mi-Young Chon, Eun Sun Ji, Shin-Hwa Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2013; 43(6): 704.     CrossRef
• Perception of Nurses and Physicians in Neonatal Intensive Care Units on Kangaroo Care
  Kyung-Sook Bang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Child Health Nursing.2011; 17(4): 230.     CrossRef
• Effects of a Home-based Discharge Program for Mothers of Premature Infants on Oxygen Therapy at Home
  Ji Min Lee, Soon Ja Oh, Kyung A Kim, Eun Jung Lee, Ji Yoon Lee, Moon Sook Hwang, Jung Sook Kim
  Journal of Korean Academy of Child Health Nursing.2010; 16(2): 144.     CrossRef
• Effects of Kangaroo Care on Growth in Premature Infants and on Maternal Attachment
  Meyoung Jang
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