[Kangaroo method in delivery room for full-term babies].

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to determine the tolerance to kangaroo care in the delivery room.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We have studied 651 normal full term newborn infants delivered in our hospital during an 8 month period. Immediately after birth, the newborn infants were dried and placed in skin-to-skin contact between their mother's breasts. They remained in kangaroo care in the delivery room, during transportation to the post-partum area and in their room as long as two hours. The kangaroo care duration, the infant's post-kangaroo care axillary temperature, the mother's and infant's attitudes and the type of newborn feeding were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the patients studied, 533 (82%) were put in skin-to-skin contact and the kangaroo care lasted 49 +/- 23 min (mean +/- SD). Eighty-percent of the mothers had decided previously to breastfeed their child. The post-kangaroo care axillary temperature was > or = 36 degrees C in 96% of the newborns and it was proportional to the kangaroo care duration (r = 0.31, p < 0.0001; IC 95%; beta = 0.0038-0.0068). During kangaroo care, most of the mothers looked at their child and were happy, although 21% felt tired. Almost all infants (98.5%) stayed awake. The newborn infants who spontaneously did the first breastfeeding during the skin-to-skin contact remained more time in kangaroo care (60 +/- 22 vs 36 +/- 17 minutes; p < 0.0001). If the infant remained more than 50 minutes in kangaroo care, he had nearly 8 times more probability of breastfeeding spontaneously (odds ratio = 7.73; IC 95%: OR = 4.02-15.1).

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend kangaroo care in the delivery room as a safe and well tolerated method for mothers and newborn infants which contributes to their well-being. In order to improve breastfeeding and the newborn's temperature, we recommend that the infant remains more than 50 minutes in kangaroo care.