Kangaroo Care for Preemies

The practice of Kangaroo care for preemies was started in Bogota, Colombia in 1983.  Neonatologists Edgar Rey and Hector Martinez started the practice because they had limited resources, issues with power failures, and unreliable equipment.  After watching preemies die in their hospital, they decided to see if the babies would benefit from the body warmth of skin-to-skin contact and comfort from their moms.  Moms, after all, are not prone to power failures and were more reliable than the equipment their hospital had to work with.  Since the practice was started, the popularity has grown and more hospitals are encouraging moms to provide kangaroo care for their preemies.

What is kangaroo care?

Kangaroo care is a form of holding preemies so that they are getting skin-to-skin contact with their moms.  Kangaroo care can be started as soon as the preemie is stable and breathing on her own.  The preemie is held wearing just a diaper against mom's bare skin.   (For comfort and warmth, a cap and booties may also be worn.)  Babies are encouraged to breastfeed often while they are receiving kangaroo care.  Mom might rock her baby in a rocking chair during kangaroo care or use a wrap or sling to carry her around.  Usually moms will give their premature babies around two to three hours of kangaroo care per day.

Kangaroo care benefits

Kangaroo helps moms and preemies bond.  Because a preemie spends a lot of time in the NICU, often away from mom for long periods of time, bonding time is important for both mom and baby.  Some other benefits of kangaroo care include:

• Stable heart rate and breathing
• Improved body temperature
• Improved weight gain
• Less crying and colic
• Increases lactation success
• Shorter hospital stay
• Longer periods of alertness

Holding your baby close to your skin will help her heart rate to stabilize and keep her warm, improving her body temperature.  She may sleep better, cry less, and may even have more rapid brain development just from being carried close to your skin.  Even if your baby is not breastfeeding right away, the skin to skin contact will improve your chances of having a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Having a premature baby can be stressful for mom and dad.  Having time to bond with your preemie, nurture her, and give her a better chance of thriving is something most moms want to take advantage of.  Not all hospitals offer kangaroo care for preemies, but even if your hospital doesn’t have a kangaroo care program you can still hold her close to your skin when you visit the NICU to see her.

Kangaroo care has carried over to moms of full term babies too.  It makes sense.  If it is good for premature babies why wouldn’t it also be beneficial for full term babies?  While they may not always carry their babies skin to skin, many moms carry their babies in slings throughout the day in a practice known as babywearing.  The benefits of babywearing are similar for full term babies. 

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Support forum for moms of preemies and moms with babies in the NICU.