Benefits of Kangaroo mother care can be used as a weapon in newborns. In some families, preterm babies or low birth weight babies are matter of concern for family members. At such times, using KMC can prevent such babies problems. So let’s find out the essential information about Kangaroo Mother Care.
What is Kangaroo Mother Care? (Kangaroo Mother Care Definition)
Kangaroo Mother Care is a skin-to-skin care for preterm as well as low-weight babies which helps in the growth and development of the newborn baby. KMC can be provided by the mother, father or other person in the household.
What are the benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care?
Giving KMC has the following benefits
- The newborn begins to breastfeed completely
- Reduces mortality in newborns.
- The incidence of infection in newborns is very low.
- Protects the newborn from falling body temperature.
- Reduce hospital stay also hence ultimately save hospital bills.
- Helps newborns to gain weight.
- Helps to increase the height of the newborn baby.
- Helps to increase the circumference of the newborn’s head.
What are the components of Kangaroo Mother Care?
The following are components of KMC.
- Kangaroo Care can be provided by parents and anyone in the household.
- A chair used for half-resting
- The baby’s mother is required to wear a button-down gown. They can also use blouses, sarees as well as plain shirts.
- The baby needs a hat, socks, diapers, a shirt with the front exposed.
KMC can be provided to a baby at a very low cost.
Which babies are given Kangaroo Mother Care?
- Underweight babies weigh less than 2.5 kg
- Preterm babies ie for babies born before 37 weeks
- Babies weighing less than 1.2 kg after their health has stabilized in NICU
- Kangaroo Care can also be given to babies weighing more than 2.5 kg.
Who can provide Kangaroo Mother Care?
Kangaroo Mother Care can be given by any of the mother, father, grandmother, grandfather. But KMC is better to be given by the mother as it strengthens the bond between mother and baby and also helps in increasing breast milk.
What should be taken care of while giving Kangaroo Mother Care?
The person providing kangaroo care should be high willpower about care. Understanding the benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care will definitely increase the will of the caregiver.
The person providing kangaroo mother care should be healthy.
The mother should have a regular diet.
The kangaroo mother care person should have a daily bath, wash their hands and cut their fingernails. So that the baby will not be harmed while taking care of it.
What is the procedure for providing Kangaroo Mother Care?
It is very important to have the will to give KMC first.
1) Keeping the baby in kangaroo position – To keep the baby in kangaroo position, he/she should lie down in both breasts of the mother. The baby’s abdomen should be close to the mother’s chest.
The baby’s head should be on one side and the neck should be slightly behind (extended). So that the baby’s breathing is open and the mother is watching the baby. The baby’s legs should be bent. The baby’s back should be supported by the hand.
2) Careful monitoring of the baby – It is very important to observe the following when giving baby kangaroo mother care. The kangaroo mother care provider needs to keep an eye on whether the baby’s neck as it is extended or not, whether the baby’s breathing is regular, whether the baby’s color is pink, whether the baby’s body temperature is regular.
3) Breastfeeding – The mother of the baby can breastfeed while the baby is in kangaroo condition or when the baby is in kangaroo position, the mother’s milk can also be fed with a spoon.
4) Time to give Kangaroo Mother Care – KMC should not be given for less than one hour. But that time should be maximized so that the baby can benefit from it.
5) Kangaroo mother care while sleeping – KMC can be given to the baby by sitting in a comfortable chair or keeping the head area high on the bed. At such times the mother can relax even while sleeping.
When will the baby get discharged from the hospital?
KMC is provided under the supervision of the hospital staff. The baby is discharged from the hospital at a time when the following criteria are met.
- When the baby starts gaining weight regularly, that is, after gaining 15 grams per kilogram for 3 days in a row.
- If the baby’s body temperature is regular for three days in a row
- If the baby is breastfeeding regularly
- If the baby is in good health
- If the mother and family members have the desire to take care of the baby
When to stop giving baby kangaroo mother care?
Kangaroo care should be given until the baby weighs 2.5 kg. Kangaroo Mother Care can provide it even after that. Kangaroo Care can be given after bathing the baby as well as on cold days.
It is very important for all the members of the family to be involved and have the will to provide Kangaroo Care. In times when the mother is tired of caring for the baby, the baby’s father can provide kangaroo mother care so that the baby’s mother can relax at that time.
It is very important to know the benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care in the society Because it avoids the danger to the life of the newborn and baby grows regularly.
If you like information about KMC, be sure to share it with your friends so that they can benefit from this information.
Ref – WHO
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