Kangaroo care is defined as a method of holding a diaper-clad newborn in skin-to-skin contact, prone and upright on the chest of the parent.
The infant is enclosed in the parent’s clothing in order to maintain temperature stability. It is usually applied to premature infants to aid with bonding as long as the baby is stable.
However, studies show that it is still beneficial with full-term infants and may help fussy or colicky babies settle down.
In situations where the mother might not be in a position to care for the infant due to illness or death, Kangaroo care may help establish a bond between the infant and the caregivers. It is also a perfect way for fathers to bond with their little ones.
Benefits of Kangaroo care
- Better respiratory in the infant.
- Promotes optimal infant growth and development.
- Beneficial effects on the sleep-wake state organization in infants.
- Maintains skin and core temperatures through conduction of heat from the parent.
- Improves parent-infant bonding and attachment process.
- Promotes more successful breastfeeding in full-term infants.
- Increases mother’s milk production and unlimited access to the breast.
- Enhances parental emotional and psychological wellness.
Here is how to kangaroo your little one
- Put only a diaper/ nappy and hat on the baby
- Place the baby in a flexed fetal position with maximum skin-to-skin contact on the parent’s chest.
- The baby is secured with a stretchy wrap that goes around the naked torso of the adult, providing the baby with proper support and positioning ensuring that you maintain the fetal pose.
- Keep constant containment without putting too much pressure and protect from air drafts (thermoregulation).
- If it is cold, the parent may wear a shirt with an opening to the front and a blanket over the wrap for the baby.
