The beneficial effect of early and prolonged kangaroo mother care on long‐term neuro‐developmental outcomes in low birth neonates – A cohort study

Abstract

AimKangaroo mother care(KMC) has immense short‐term benefits, but data on long‐term outcomes is scarce. Hence this study aimed to compare the neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months of corrected age (CA) in infants <2000 g receiving early and prolonged KMC to a control group.MethodsThis was a cohort study that was conducted from January 2017 to November 2018. All neonates< 2000g were eligible for the study. Neonates that received early initiation (<72 hours of life) and prolonged KMC comprised the intervention group and were compared to neonates without the intervention. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third edition (BSID‐III)was done at 12 months of CA and this was analysed using t‐test and multi‐linear regression analysis.ResultsThere were 75 neonates in the intervention and 69 in the control group. Baseline characteristics were comparable. We found higher composite scores for cognition (110.38±9.89 vs 105.44±8.77, p value=0.023), language (107.51±10.72 vs 101.05±12.06, p value=0.014), and adaptive behavior (87.97±9.97 vs 80±9.1, p value<0.001 in the early and prolonged KMC group in comparison to the control group.ConclusionInfants with early and prolonged KMC have better neurodevelopmental outcomes in terms of cognition, language and adaptive behavior at 12 months of CA.

Kangaroo Mother Care in Term and Late Preterm Neonates: A Systematic Review

“…There are findings that show how KMC has contributed to enhancing the health of infants in the community and in hospitals [16]. Pradhan et al evaluated the applicability of KMC as a complementary treatment in the hospital setting [23], while Ariff et al [3] and Bisanalli et al [13] examined the role of KMC in rural populations in the community setting, with results showing favorable outcomes for newborns in the longer term.…”

“…While skin-to-skin contact strengthens the bond between mother and child, involving the family and men will further strengthen it [ 19 , 20 ]. Bisanalli et al's study showed that the beneficial effect of early and prolonged effective KMC on neurodevelopmental outcomes in late preterm and low-birthweight babies at later times is significant [ 13 ]. Their review explored the neurodevelopmental outcomes of KMC over an extended period, which brought up a lot of important information concerning the long-term benefits of KMC for late preterm neonates and clinical practice, and guidelines on the implementation of KMC in neonatal wards in care settings was one of them [ 13 ].…”

“…Much like Garg et al point out, KMC is concerned with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia management [ 12 ]. Additionally, Bisanalli et al argue that KMC provides long-term benefits in relation to neurodevelopment, which is particularly important in late preterm and low-birth-weight babies [ 13 ].…”

“…Likewise, as Ariff et al portray, one of the ways of delivering KMC packages in a rural Pakistani community where resources are limited is through the comprehensive involvement of the community itself [ 3 ]. In the same way, Bisanalli et al elucidate the long-term neurodevelopmental consequences of KMC in neonates of low birth weight [ 13 ]. They suggest evaluating the broader implications of KMC treatment, stretching beyond the immediate health outcomes.…”