Kangaroo Care for Babies with CHDs
Ages 0 - 12 Months
Sick babies often face stressful experiences, especially if they are in the hospital. Kangaroo care can help them to feel calmer, to bond with their caregivers, and to make more progress in their development. Here are some tips for how parents and professionals can practice kangaroo care with babies, both at home and in the hospital.
In this section
What is kangaroo care?
"Kangaroo care" is when a baby's caregivers provide skin-to-skin contact while taking care of the baby. It is a powerful intervention, and can help the baby to feel safe and relaxed, and to heal both physically and emotionally.
Caregivers have many options for types of kangaroo care that they can adapt to the needs of almost any baby. Keep reading to learn how to use kangaroo care with your child or patient.
&w=3840&q=75)
How does kangaroo care help?
Kangaroo care can help babies and their families in many ways, including:
regulating the baby's body functions
lowering the baby's and caregiver's stress
promoting parent/child bonding and secure attachment
encouraging healthy brain and body development
relieving discomfort and distress
supporting more and better sleep
increasing milk production
&w=3840&q=75)
Direct kangaroo care
Caregivers can safely use direct kangaroo care with most babies. Direct kangaroo care means caregivers undress the baby, and place the baby on the bare skin of their chest.
Depending on the preferences and needs of an individual baby, caregivers can do direct kangaroo care sitting up, leaning back, or lying down. Caregivers should always remain awake and alert when holding a baby.
&w=3840&q=75)
Indirect kangaroo care
Some babies are too fragile for direct kangaroo care. For these babies, caregivers can use a hand hug, which provides a lot of the same benefits as holding. In order to a hand hug, caregivers can:
gently place one hand on the baby's head
gently place the other hand cupping the baby's feet
In most cases, caregivers can touch the baby's skin with the skin of their hand when giving a hand hug.
&w=3840&q=75)
The critical role of family
Kangaroo care is a powerful intervention because it helps babies to feel safe and connected with the most important people in their life: their parents. Even when a baby lives in the hospital, parents are critical to the baby's care and well-being, and hospital staff can never replace a parent's role. Kangaroo care is just one way parents can help their babies. Families can talk with their care teams about other ways they can take care of their babies and promote learning and development.
This content was reviewed by a psychologist at Boston Children's Hospital.
Developmental care is best when it is local. Families local to Boston can receive care from the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program. Families from other regions can use the link below to find their closest program.
Want to Learn More?
Look below for related resources, search resources by topic, or explore one of our custom guides.
Don't see what you're looking for? Let us know what you want to learn! We will try to add content to respond to your needs. Email CNPschedulingandquestions@childrens.harvard.edu