Kangaroo Care: the hug that heals and makes not only premature babies grow healthy

There is also an effect on the incidence of neonatal infections due to increased breast milk production, lower incidence of hypothermia, more time dedicated to maternal care and earlier discharge from hospital. There is also recent evidence that the practice of KC allows the transfer of a favorable microbiome from mother to child, reducing colonization with pathogenic bacteria.

As the Sin Neonatal Care Study Group, with its Secretary Dr. Giuseppe Paterlini, has reported, this practice positively modulates the hormonal levels of oxytocin and cortisol; these benefits have recently been demonstrated even in cases where the birth was by emergency cesarean section: mothers who started Kangaroo Care early have higher levels of oxytocin and lower levels of cortisol compared to mothers who were not offered this early proposal; furthermore, there is a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines in mothers of the KC group, which can promote better healing of the surgical wound.

The continuation of the kangaroo method practice at home, started in hospital, has been the subject of reflection and study in recent years. Several authors have shown that encouraging premature infants to continue it after discharge home allows for better weight gain and growth in other anthropometric parameters. Recently, the AJCN magazine published a study in which it emerged that the promotion and support of Kangaroo Care, even after discharge, are associated with a greater daily intake of human milk in low birth weight infants. This finding seems to be more relevant in preterm infants than in full-term infants and in small-for-gestational-age infants than in those of adequate weight.

The global health community recognizes a fundamental role in Kangaroo Care for the benefits it brings to premature babies and their parents; starting from this there is a growing interest in studying its application also to full-term and so-called “late preterm” babies. The results so far indicate that Kangaroo Care could present some advantages, such as the reduction of neonatal bilirubin levels, the reduction of the effects of painful practices and a better prevention of hypothermia.

Finally, in all those conditions in which breastfeeding is not possible, the use of Kangaroo Care, as skin-to-skin contact, can be a valid alternative to support the optimal growth and development of the child.