Kangaroo Care

Hi readers!

I am excited to teach you about kangaroo care, an occupational therapy treatment used in the NICU. Kangaroo care (KC) is a way for a mother or father to hold their newborn involving skin-to-skin contact. The baby, naked except for possibly a hat, diaper, and blanket over its back, is laid on the mom or dad’s bare chest. This method is similar to a joey (baby kangaroo) in its mother’s pouch, which explains the name. Occupational therapists encourage new NICU parents to do kangaroo care with their premature infants.

Kangaroo care has been proven to benefit babies in many ways. Kangaroo care can stabilize a baby’s heart rate, improve oxygen transfer, regulate body temperature, and much more. Breasts can change temperature by themselves in order to help the baby regulate their temperature. For example, if the baby is cold, breasts naturally increase in temperature in response. Also, through studies, it has been shown that babies during kangaroo care can fall asleep within minutes. The extra sleep on a mom’s chest, with help in regulating temperature, helps the baby save energy and calories, which allow the baby to concentrate on growing rather than temperature regulation.  

An occupational therapist’s goal is to help patients thrive in life. Sometimes OTs need to help and support the parents too in order for them to best support their child (the patient). Moreover, kangaroo care also helps the parents, which tends to lead to better care of the baby. Kangaroo care has been shown to increase breast milk production, increase parents’ confidence to care for their baby, and improve bonding with their baby, which has been shown to decrease the occurrence of postpartum depression in new mothers.

Thanks for reading,

Kayla

"All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them” –Magic Johnson

 

 

Works Cited

"Kangaroo Care." Children's Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, July 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Vergara, Elsie, et al. "Specialized Knowledge and Skills of Occupational Therapy Educators of the Future." American Journal of Occupational Therapy 63.6 (2009): 804-18. Aota.org. American Occupational Therapy Association. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.