The Impact of Kangaroo Care on Premature Infant Weight Gain
Melvina Evereklian1, Bobbie Posmontier2
1Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville, MD, United States; Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Insights
Kangaroo care significantly improves weight gain in premature infants. This low-cost intervention, despite barriers like lack of protocols, offers substantial benefits for preterm infant development and reduces healthcare costs.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric health
- Evidence-based practice
Background:
- Preterm birth affects 11.4% of infants, leading to potential neurodevelopmental issues and high healthcare costs.
- Premature infants require steady weight gain to avoid prolonged hospital stays and readmissions.
- Kangaroo care is a proven intervention to enhance infant weight gain, yet its adoption is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of kangaroo care on premature infant weight gain.
- To educate nurses on the efficacy of kangaroo care for preterm infants.
- To identify barriers hindering the widespread implementation of kangaroo care.
Main Methods:
- An integrative review of existing literature was performed.
- Searches were conducted across major databases including CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, ClinicalKey, and Google Scholar.
- Filters and limiters were applied to refine large volume searches.
Main Results:
- The majority of studies indicated greater weight gain in premature infants receiving kangaroo care.
- Kangaroo care is a cost-effective, low-tech method effective even in resource-limited environments.
- Improved infant weight gain was consistently associated with kangaroo care practices.
Conclusions:
- Kangaroo care is an effective method for promoting weight gain in preterm infants.
- Barriers such as lack of standardized protocols and insufficient knowledge impede widespread use.
- Formalizing kangaroo care through education can enhance its utilization and benefits for preterm infants.
Background:
Preterm births occur among 11.4% of all live infant births. Without steady weight gain, premature infants may experience lengthy hospitalizations, neurodevelopmental deficits and hospital readmissions, which can increase the financial burden on the health care system and their families. The total U.S. health-related costs linked to preterm infant deliveries are estimated at $4.33 billion. Kangaroo care is a feasible practice that can improve preterm infant weight gain. However, this intervention is utilized less often throughout the U.S. due to numerous barriers including a lack of consistent protocols, inadequate knowledge, and decreased level of confidence in demonstrating the proper kangarooing technique. An integrative review was conducted to evaluate the impact of kangaroo care on premature infant weight gain in order to educate nurses about its efficacy among preterm infants.
Data Sources:
A literature search was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, ClinicalKey and Google Scholar. Large volume searches were restricted using appropriate filters and limiters.
Conclusions:
Most of the evaluated studies determined that weight gain was greater among the kangarooing premature infants. Kangaroo care is a low-tech low-cost modality that can facilitate improved preterm infant weight gain even in low-resource settings. Despite its current efficacy, kangaroo care is not widely utilized due to several barriers including an absence of standardized protocols and a lack of knowledge about its benefits. Kangaroo care can become a widespread formalized practice after nurses and parents learn about the technique and its numerous benefits for premature infants, including its association with improved weight gain.
Related Concept Videos
00:55Parental Care
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types