Overcoming the barriers to using kangaroo care in neonatal settings

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatrics
• Maternal-child health

Background:

• Skin-to-skin contact, known as kangaroo care (KC), provides numerous benefits for infants and parents.
• These benefits include improved clinical outcomes, enhanced temperature regulation, increased breastfeeding success, and stronger parent-child bonding.
• KC also demonstrably reduces infant morbidity and mortality rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the benefits of kangaroo care (KC) for neonates and their parents.
• To identify barriers hindering the implementation of KC in neonatal settings.
• To emphasize the role of neonatal nurses in advocating for and facilitating KC.

Main Methods:

• This study reviews existing literature on kangaroo care (KC) and its impact.
• It identifies common barriers to KC implementation, such as nurse training, time constraints, maternal/infant health, and environmental factors.
• The review also explores strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Main Results:

• KC significantly improves infant clinical outcomes, temperature stability, and breastfeeding initiation.
• Parental well-being and child-parent bonding are positively affected by KC.
• Identified barriers include insufficient nurse training, time limitations, maternal/infant health issues, and unsuitable environments.

Conclusions:

• Neonatal nurses play a crucial role in advocating for KC through education and supportive management.
• Addressing barriers with targeted training and resources can increase KC adoption.
• Facilitating KC can improve patient experiences and potentially optimize nursing workflow.