Title: Evaluation of Kangaroo Mother Care in Low Birth Weight Babies

Authors: Dr Deepa.S.Phirke, Dr Sudhakar Bantewad

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i9.02

Abstract

Introduction: Kangaroo Mother Care (K MC) is a simple and effective way to improve the health in low birth weight (LBW)babies in peripheral health centres with ill equipped infra-structure. It achieves a better thermal control and stabilises the vital parameters besides effectively increasing the breast feeding and improvement in the weight gain. Various studies conducted have variable results regarding the effect of KMC on babies .Hence there is a need to further evaluate it’s effect.

Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the effect of KMC on low birth weight babies.

Materials and Methods-It is an prospective observational study conducted in neonatal care unit of tertiary care centre. Mothers with their LBW babies were included as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria.KMC was started in these babies after counselling of mothers. The details of gestational age, Birth weight, Weight gain were recorded. The vital parameters such as temperature, Heart rate and Respiratory rate and SPO2 was also recorded before and after KMC.

Results: Total 80 newborns were enrolled in this study. Out of these 40 newborns had a gestational age of 32-34 weeks, the mean birth weight was 1.626 KG. The increase in the weight after KMC was seen in 40 babies out of 57 after 4 days and all babies after 8-12 days of KMC with an average weight gain of 14.53 gms. The change in temperature ranged from -2 to +2 oF and 78 babies had increased in temperature. The change in heart rate (HR) ranged from 3 to 12 beats/min.73 babies had decreased heart rate. The range of change in respiratory rate (RR) was 3 to 8 per minute. Total 75 babies had a decreased RR. The change in SPO2 was 3 to 8 and total 78 babies showed an increase in the SPO2. The mean of HR was 146.95 and 139.55, For RR 45.96 and 40.175, for temperature 97.69 and  98.50 and was 93.55 -97.48 for SPO2 before and after receiving KMC respectively .P value was <0.0001 in all parameters.

Discussion: Majority of babies were between 32-34 weeks of gestation and with a mean birth weight of 1.626 kg. The chances of gain in the weight increased with increase in duration of KMC. There was significant increase in the temperature and SPO2 and decrease in HR and RR after KMC in majority of Babies.

Keywords: Kangaroo Mother Care(KMC).Low birth weight (LBW) babies, Vital parameters.

References

  1. Bailey S.Kangaroo mother care:A practical guide. WHO Reprod Heal Res 2003;73 (5):1-54.
  2. Roos Tony and Nyrie. The Hormonal Benefits for Mothers and Babies of Kangaroo Mother Care by Tony and Nyrie Roos. Available from: http://www.articlecity.com /articles /parenting/article_2759.shtml
  3. Udani RH,Hinduja ARA,NSRP,Kabra NS.Role of Kangaroo mother carein preventing Neonatal morbidity in the hospital & community: A review article.J.Neonatol.2014;28(4):28-36.
  4. Mooncey S,Giannakoulpoulas X,Glover V,Acolet D,Modi N:The effect of mother -infant skin to skin contact on plasma cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations in preterm newborns.Infant Behav Dev.1997 Oct;2014(4):553-7.
  5. Thukral A,Chawla D,Agarwal R,Deorari AK,Paul VK.Kangaroo mother care-an alternative to conventional care.Indian J Pediatr.2008 May;75(5):497-50
  6. Udani RH,Hinduja ARA,NSRP,Kabra NS.Role of Kangaroo mother carein preventing Neonatal morbidity in the hospital & community:A review article.J. Neonatol.2014;28(4):28-36.
  7. Suman Rao PN,Udani R,Nanavati R-Kangaroo mother care for low birth weight infants-A randomised controlled trial. Indian Pediatr,2008;45(1):17-23.
  8. Nashwa M Samra,Amal El Taweel,Karin Cadwell-Effect of intermittent Kangaroo mother care on weight gain of Low birth weight neonates with delayed weight gain-J Perinat Educ.2013 Fall;22(4):194-200.
  9. Sarparast L,Farhadi R,Sarparast M, Shafais-The effect of Kangaroo mother care on Neonatal outcomes in Iranian Hospitals: A review;J Pediatr Rev,2015;3(1):e 195
  10. Whitney Stuard The effect of Kangaroo mother care on a newborn development and vital physiology,Clinics Mother Child Health Feb 2016;13:225
  11. Ghavane S,Murki S,Subramaniam S, Gaddam P,Kandraju H and Thumalla S-Kangaroo mother care in Kangaroo ward for improving the growth and breast feeding outcomes when reaching term gestational age in very low birth weight infants.Acta Paediatrica 2012;101:e545-47
  12. Bera A,Ghosh J,Singh AK,Hazra bA,Som T,Munian D.Effect of kangaroo mother care on vital physiological parameters of low birth weight newborn.Indian J Community Med.2014 Oct.39(4):28-36
  13. Parmar VR, Kumar A, Kaur R, Parmar S, Kaur D, Basu S, et al. Experience with Kangaroo mother care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Chandigarh, India. Indian J Pediatr. 2009;76(1):25–8
  14. Almeida C,Almeida A,Forti E.Effects of Kangaroo mother care on vital signs of low weight preterm newborns.Rev Bras fisioter:2009;11(1):1-5
  15. Ludington-Hoe SM, Johnson MW, Morgan K, Lewis T, Gutman J, Wilson PD, et al. Neurophysiologic Assessment of Neonatal Sleep Organization: Preliminary Results of a Randomized, Controlled Trial of Skin Contact With Preterm Infants. Pediatrics. 2006 May 1;117(5):e909–23
  16. Malliani A, Montano N, Pagani M. Physiological Background of Heart Rate Variability. Card Electrophysiol Rev. 1997;1(3):343–6
  17. Thoresen M, Cowan F, Walløe L, Borst C, Wieling W, Brederode JFM van, et al. Cardiovascular responses to tilting in healthy newborn babies. Early Hum Dev. 1991 Oct ; 26(3):213–22
  18. Föhe K, Kropf S, Avenarius S. Skin-to-Skin Contact Improves Gas Exchange in Premature Infants. J Perinatol. 2000 May 1;20(5):311–5
  19. Gazzolo D, Masetti P, Meli M. Kangaroo care improves post-extubation cardiorespi-ratory parameters in infants after open heart surgery. Acta Paediatr. 2000 Jun;89(6):728
  20. Törnhage C-J, Stuge E, Lindberg T, Serenius F. First week kangaroo care in sick very preterm infants. Acta Paediatr. 2007 Jan 2;88(12):1402–4
  21. Mori R,Khanna R,Pledge D,Nakayama T,Meta analysis of physiological effects of skin to skin contact for newborn and mothers.Pediatr Int.2010 Apr;52(2) 161-70.

Corresponding Author

Dr Deepa.S.Phirke

Associate Professor, Government Medical College,

Miraj, Maharashtra, India