A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 49
Your baby and you
• Improved oxygen saturation levels
• Longer periods of sleep
• More rapid weight gain
• More rapid brain development
• Decreased crying and longer periods of alertness
• More successful breastfeeding episodes
• Earlier hospital discharge
There are also benefits to the parents:
• Helping develop a bond with baby - even though your baby is not home
and contact time may be limited, it will help you feel close to your baby
• Giving parents the confidence to care for their baby
• Teaching parents to trust that their baby is well cared for
When is the best time for Kangaroo Care?
While policies vary, most have a policy which allows Kangaroo Care for
babies who are stable. Discuss with your team when you can undertake
skin-to-skin. If this is not possible, consider using ‘hand hugs’ until you can
hold your baby. Hand hugs provide skin-to-skin contact between your hands
and your baby’s skin. Placing your hands at your baby’s feet gives them
something to push against like they would on the belly during pregnancy
and helps them to feel calm. Placing your hand gently on their stomach
makes them feel supported, more so than placing your hands on their feet
and the head, including those less than 1500 grams who are breathing on
their own. Some hospitals also allow babies on oxygen or CPAP to be held in
a Kangaroo cuddle.
Sometimes babies may be unsettled when they come out of the incubator
for skin-to-skin. Moving them to your chest can help them feel less exposed
during lifting. You may also like to try placing your hand on their back and
talking to them softly. Reducing lighting can also help your baby adjust to
the move outside the incubator. Give them a little time to see if they can
become calm with your help.
On the rare occasion, babies may have pauses in their breathing or become
more unstable during or after Kangaroo Care. This is not associated with
anything you’ve done. It may be that their condition has changed and they
require additional breathing or medical support. It is often just a case of
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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