Written by Kimiko Dunbar
Spoon Feed
Kangaroo care has a positive impact on weight gain in premature infants.
The most important cuddle
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) originated in Bogota, Colombia in the late 1970s. KMC has since been shown to have a positive impact on neonatal outcomes, including reduced rates of sepsis and hypothermia, especially for infants born less than 32 weeks. This systematic review investigated whether KMC enhances weight gain in premature infants compared to incubator care. Employing PRISMA methodology, nine studies (2018-2023) were critically appraised. Results demonstrated KMC’s positive impact on neonatal weight gain, with reported gains up to 30 g/day and enhanced outcomes when combined with breastfeeding or kinesthetic stimulation (passive movement of an infant’s limbs). This systematic review is limited by heterogeneity of included studies and lack of RCTs. Further, KMC implementation is widely variable across institutions and often implemented differently across different settings and cultures; thus, it’s hard to know how these results might apply to another institution.
How does this change my practice?
I need to be more intentional about discussing and recommending kangaroo care for the late preterm infants I see in the well baby nursery. This population is one of the most challenging; they start off strong, but often tire out and develop challenges with feeding and thermoregulation. Even worse, given how close they are to term gestation, parents often have expectations that their nursery course will be as simple as that of a baby born just a week or two later. KMC or skin-to-skin is frequently employed in the immediate post-birth period but tends to wane as infants get older; I’ll encourage continued KMC throughout the entire stay.
Source
Impact of the Kangaroo mother care method on weight gain in premature newborns: systematic review. BMC Pediatr. 2025 May 8;25(1):365. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-05597-6. PMID: 40340898
