A Guiding Hand for Families in Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 51
Special Care Nursery (SCN)
Kangaroo Care
History
Kangaroo Care originated in
Bogota, Columbia in 1983 by Neos
Edgar Rey and Hector Martinez,
when they developed the ‘Kangaroo
Mother Care’ program to decrease
the high mortality rate among
babies born prematurely. Mums
carried their premature babies in
slings all day, every day, and the
mortality rate fell from 70% to 30%.
their young. Through contact with
their parent’s skin, the babies are
kept warm and experience a close
interaction with their parents.
Kangaroo Care has not been shown
to have any physical risks to preterm babies. Kangaroo Care can
also benefit older premature babies
and full-term babies.
Why?
The practice of Kangaroo Care was
first introduced to neonatal units to
involve parents in the care of their
premature babies and to decrease
some of the stress associated with
a pre-term baby needing neonatal
intensive care.
Parents who have experienced
Kangaroo Care have expressed
excitement and joy with the practice
and many feel like parents for the
first time since their baby’s birth.
Babies have been observed in
a restful sleep state while in the
How?
Kangaroo Care is a method of
skin-to-skin contact to promote
parent/infant bonding when baby
is premature. It is the practice of
holding a premature infant dressed
in a nappy and a hat between a
mother’s bare breasts or father’s
chest, similar to a kangaroo carrying
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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