The kangaroo method, also called “kangaroo mother method” or “skin-to-skin contact”, is an alternative that was created by pediatrician Edgar Rey Sanabria in 1979 in Bogotá, Colombia, to reduce hospitalization time and encourage breastfeeding in newborns. -low birth weight babies. Edgar observed that when they were placed skin-to-skin with their parents or family members, newborns gained weight faster than those who did not have this contact, in addition to having fewer infections and being discharged earlier than babies who did not have this contact. did not participate in the initiative.
This method begins shortly after birth, still in the maternity ward, where parents are trained on how to pick up the baby, how to position it and how to attach it to the body. In addition to all the benefits that the method presents, it also has the advantage of being low cost for the health unit and for parents, which is why, since then, it has been used in the recovery of low birth weight newborns. Check out the essential care for your newborn at home.
What is it for
The objective of the kangaroo method is to encourage breastfeeding, encouraging the constant presence of parents with the newborn in continuous contact, reducing hospitalization time and reducing family stress.
Studies show that in hospitals where the method is used, the amount of daily milk in mothers who have skin-to-skin contact with the baby is greater, and also that the breastfeeding period lasts longer. See the benefits of prolonged breastfeeding.
In addition to breastfeeding, the kangaroo method also helps:
- Develop parents’ confidence in handling the baby even after hospital discharge;
- Relieve stress and pain in low birth weight newborns;
- Reduce the chances of hospital infections;
- Reduce the length of stay in hospital;
- Increase the parent-child bond;
- Prevent baby heat loss.
The baby’s contact with the breast also makes the newborn feel cozy, as they can recognize the first sounds they heard during pregnancy, the heartbeat, breathing, and mother’s voice.
How is done
In the kangaroo method, the baby is placed in a vertical position in skin-to-skin contact with only the diaper on the parents’ chest, and this occurs gradually, that is, initially the baby is touched, and then placed in the kangaroo position. This contact between the newborn and the parents begins increasingly, each day, the baby spends more time in the kangaroo position, by choice of the family and for as long as the parents feel comfortable.
The kangaroo method is carried out in a guided manner, at the family’s choice, safely and accompanied by an appropriately trained healthcare team.
Due to all the advantages and benefits that the method can bring to the baby and the family, it is currently also used in newborns of normal weight, with the aim of increasing the emotional bond, reducing stress and encouraging breastfeeding.
