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.

This study has been conducted on the nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design in quasi experimental basis and newly born premature infants from intensive care unit of G Medical University Hospital in Inchon Metropolitan were selected in two groups of 21 infants each. The first group for experimental and the other for control. Data has been collected form October 30, 1997 to August 29, 1998. For the experimental group tactile and kinesthetic stimulation was applied 2 times a day for 10 days(10:00~11:00 hours in the morning and 17:00~18:00 in the afternoon). As a weight weighing instrument, electronic indicator scale(Cas Co, Korea) was used. To determine urine cortisol concentration level in stress hormone, radio immuno assay method was used. And high performance liquid chlomatogarphy was used to determine urine norepinephrine, concentration level. To determine behavior status, tools developed by anderson et al(1990) and remodeled by Kim Hee-Sook(1996) were used. Collected data were analyzed with the SAS program using x2-test, student t-test, repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test. The result were as follow. 1. As for the daily weight gain, the experimental group showed first change in weight and this group also showed higher weight in the average weight than the control group. Statistically, however, there was no significant factor between the two groups. 2. The cortisol concentration in urine showed decrease in the experimental group norepinephrine concentration in urine showed increase in both experimental and control groups. No statistical significance was shown between the two groups. 3. In the aspect of behavior status, the experimental group showed statistical significance by showing inactive in the state of alert and conversion to a positive state than the control group. In conclusion, the sensory stimulation in this study showed a positive aspect through there was no statistical significance n the weight gain and urine stress hormone concentration. In the behavior status, there was statistical significance in the frequency of staying inactive in the state of alert and conversion to a positive state.