The Feasibility of Kangaroo Care and the Effect on Maternal Attachment for Neonates in a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive
Mary Jane Broge1, Lisa M Steurer, Patrick M Ercole
1Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Critical Care (Ms Broge) and Department of Quality, Safety, and Practice Excellence (Dr Steurer), St Louis Children's Hospital, St Louis, Missouri; and Sansom Consulting, San Antonio, Texas (Dr Ercole).
Insights
Kangaroo care (KC) is safe and feasible for newborns with congenital heart disease in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. This intervention showed no adverse events, supporting its use in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric cardiology
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) face increased risks of brain injury and neurodevelopmental delays.
- Kangaroo care (KC), a method of skin-to-skin contact, positively impacts infant development and mother-infant bonding.
- Limited evidence exists on KC's use in neonates with CHD, including premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and feasibility of implementing kangaroo care (KC) for neonates diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
- To evaluate KC's applicability within a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) setting.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive observational feasibility study design was utilized.
- The study evaluated the safety and efficacy of KC in neonates with CHD.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five neonates participated, undergoing a total of 60 KC sessions.
- No adverse events, such as dislodged lines/tubes or physiological instability, were recorded during KC sessions.
Conclusions:
- Kangaroo care (KC) was found to be safe and feasible for neonates with congenital heart disease in the CICU.
- This study is the first to explore KC's safety and feasibility in this high-risk group.
- Further research with quasi-experimental designs is recommended to investigate neurodevelopmental outcomes in a larger patient cohort.
Background:
As survival rates in neonates with congenital heart disease have improved, research has shown they are at an increased risk for brain injury and neurodevelopmental delay. One intervention shown to have a positive impact on the development in premature and full-term newborns, as well as a positive impact on mother-infant relationship, is kangaroo care (KC). There is limited evidence to support the use of KC in infants with congenital heart disease, some of who may also be premature.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and feasibility of introducing KC for neonates with congenital heart disease in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.
Methods:
A descriptive observational feasibility study was employed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of KC for this population.
Results:
There were 25 neonates included with 60 sessions of KC. There were no adverse events including line and tube dislodgments and physiological instability related to the use of KC.
Implications For Practice:
This study found KC to be safe and feasible for neonates with KC.
Implications For Research:
This is the first study examining the feasibility and safety of KC in this vulnerable population of neonates. Further research should be conducted using a quasi-experimental design to investigate neurodevelopmental outcomes with a larger sample of patients.
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