First week kangaroo care in sick very preterm infants.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric intensive care
• Infant physiology

Background:

• Sick preterm infants often require intensive care, including interventions like nasogastric tube feeding.
• Kangaroo care (KC), a method of skin-to-skin contact, is known to benefit infants but its use with concurrent medical interventions needs further study.
• The first week of life is a critical period for physiological adaptation in preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the tolerance and physiological effects of kangaroo care (KC) in sick preterm infants during their first week of life.
• To assess whether KC is well-tolerated when combined with nasogastric tube feeding (NG).
• To investigate the impact of KC on oxygen requirements and cardiorespiratory stability in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

• Seventeen sick preterm infants (median gestational age 28 wk, median birthweight 1238 g) received 1 hour of KC.
• Eight of these infants received nasogastric tube feeding (NG) during KC.
• Physiological parameters including oxygen saturation, blood gases, heart rate, and temperature were monitored.

Main Results:

• KC was well-tolerated by the majority of infants, with unchanged or decreased oxygen requirements in 15 out of 17 infants.
• Minimal changes were observed in arterial blood gases, transcutaneous pO2/pCO2, heart rate, and temperature during KC.
• Nasogastric tube feeding (NG) during KC was also found to be well-tolerated, with only one episode of apnea noted.

Conclusions:

• Kangaroo care (KC) is a safe and well-tolerated intervention for sick preterm infants in the first week of life.
• Combining KC with nasogastric tube feeding (NG) does not appear to compromise infant stability.
• These findings support the integration of KC into routine care for sick preterm infants, even with concurrent feeding support.