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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.

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What is kangaroo care?How does kangaroo care help?Direct kangaroo care Indirect kangaroo care The critical role of family

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

References

Broge, M. J., Steurer, L. M., & Ercole, P. M. (2021). The feasibility of kangaroo care and the effect on maternal attachment for neonates in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. Advances in Neonatal Care, 21(3), E52-E59.https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/abstract/2021/06000/the_feasibility_of_kangaroo_care_and_the_effect_on.15.aspx

Cooper, L., Morrill, A., Russell, R. B., Gooding, J. S., Miller, L., & Berns, S. D. (2014). Close to me: enhancing kangaroo care practice for NICU staff and parents. Advances in Neonatal Care, 14(6), 410-423.https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/abstract/2014/12000/close_to_me__enhancing_kangaroo_care_practice_for.10.aspx

Dodd, V. L. (2005). Implications of kangaroo care for growth and development in preterm infants. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 34(2), 218-232.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0884217505274698

Lisanti, A. J., Buoni, A., Steigerwalt, M., Daly, M., McNelis, S., & Spatz, D. L. (2020). Kangaroo care for hospitalized infants with congenital heart disease. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 45(3), 163-168.https://journals.lww.com/mcnjournal/abstract/2020/05000/kangaroo_care_for_hospitalized_infants_with.5.aspx

Louis, K., & White, A. (2023). Impact of Kangaroo Care on Caregivers in the NICU: An Integrative Review. Pediatric Nursing, 49(4).https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A2%3A3964098/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A171809816&crl=c&link_origin=scholar.google.com

Rachwal, C., Smith-Parrish, M., Rofeberg, V., Graber, K., Smith-Freedman, D., Millman, M. S., ... & Butler, S. C. (2024). Simulation Training to Increase Holding of Fragile Infants in Cardiac Intensive Care Units. American Journal of Critical Care, 33(5), 338-346.https://aacnjournals.org/ajcconline/article-abstract/33/5/338/32526/Simulation-Training-to-Increase-Holding-of-Fragile?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Stadd, K., Diehl, B., Yenokyan, G., & Aucott, S. W. (2020). A kangaroo care pathway for NICU staff and families: the proof is in the pouch. Advances in Neonatal Care, 20(1), 14-24.https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/abstract/2020/02000/a_kangaroo_care_pathway_for_nicu_staff_and.3.aspx

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