The Kangaroo Mother Care

The Kangaroo mother care is a method used in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with beneficial effects for the health of neonates. This paper describes the method, its effects on newborns, parents, community, hospitals, the implementation of the protocols and the monitoring at home after being discharged. Extensive literature review using databases like PubMed, Cochrane, WHO and the website of the Kangaroo Care Foundation was performed. The method contributes to neonatal weight gain, rise of body temperature, increase of the percentages of initial and establishment exclusive breastfeeding as well as reducing the time spent in the hospital for neonates. Equally, important are the benefits for parents with main being the creation of a strong bond between mother and child and their paternal direct involvement in infant care.Τhe Kangaroo mother care contributes to improving the health of newborns as well as enhancing positive feelings for the parents.

Keywords: Skin to skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, kangaroo mother care