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Kangaroo care wards in Lucknow hospital: Deccan Herald
Lucknow, Feb 14: Two Kangaroo care wards with 16 beds were recently inaugurated at King George`s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
Lucknow, Feb 14: Two Kangaroo care wards with 16 beds were recently inaugurated at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
The Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a method of care for preterm, low birth weight (less than two and a half kilogrammes) infants which involves the infant being literally tied to the mother’s body to ensure skin-to-skin contact.
Such contact besides regulating the infant’s body temperature is found to reduce severe illness, infection, breastfeeding problems and improve mother-baby bonding. Since preterm new borns are kept in incubators to protect them from hypothermia the KMC method also cuts down on the costs which range between Rs 200 to Rs 1000 per day depending on the kind of hospital.
Dr G K Malik, neonatologist at KGMU’s paediatrics department has trained at Columbia’s Kangaroo Foundation in the technique. “The essence of KMC is that technology should only step in as an aid and not a replacement. KMC has shown that infants respond better to close proximity with the mother. The psychological benefits are also immense. And the best part is that not only the mother but any other family member can replace the mother for this.”
The KMC was first used in 1978 in Columbia as an alternative to the conventional contemporary method of care for low birth weight infants.
The term KMC is derived from similarities to marsupial caregiving. The mothers are used as “incubators” and as the main source of food and stimulation for preterm infants till they are mature enough to face life in similar conditions as those born at term.
There are three major components of the KMC: skin-to-skin contact wherein babies are kept, day and night, between the mother’s breasts firmly attached in an upright position, frequent and exclusive or nearly exclusive breast feeding, and early discharge from hospital regardless of weight or gestational age.
Dr Vinita Das, head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Mary’s hospital believes the only hitch that may stop mothers from taking to the technique initially is that they will have to wear loose garments when keeping the baby in a lycra pouch close to the body.
The technique has demonstrated its usefulness in developing countries where health care facilities are often inadequate or too expensive.
In the KMC the baby is literally tied onto the mother’s bare chest with a strip of cloth that is positioned underneath the baby’s ear. This extends the baby’s head and neck and prevents obstructive apnea (suspension of respiration).
The baby is tied tightly enough so that when the mother breathes, she pushes against the baby’s chest and stimulates breathing. Inside the mother’s shirt, the baby is in a carbon dioxide-rich environment, which also stimulates breathing.
The strip is relaxed every two hours and the baby is fed via breast or whatever means is necessary. The techniques is being put to use at the Jaipur’s Medical College, KEM Hospital Mumbai, PGI, Chandigarh and Chennai’s Institute of Child Health.
The Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a method of care for preterm, low birth weight (less than two and a half kilogrammes) infants which involves the infant being literally tied to the mother’s body to ensure skin-to-skin contact.
Such contact besides regulating the infant’s body temperature is found to reduce severe illness, infection, breastfeeding problems and improve mother-baby bonding. Since preterm new borns are kept in incubators to protect them from hypothermia the KMC method also cuts down on the costs which range between Rs 200 to Rs 1000 per day depending on the kind of hospital.
Dr G K Malik, neonatologist at KGMU’s paediatrics department has trained at Columbia’s Kangaroo Foundation in the technique. “The essence of KMC is that technology should only step in as an aid and not a replacement. KMC has shown that infants respond better to close proximity with the mother. The psychological benefits are also immense. And the best part is that not only the mother but any other family member can replace the mother for this.”
The KMC was first used in 1978 in Columbia as an alternative to the conventional contemporary method of care for low birth weight infants.
The term KMC is derived from similarities to marsupial caregiving. The mothers are used as “incubators” and as the main source of food and stimulation for preterm infants till they are mature enough to face life in similar conditions as those born at term.
There are three major components of the KMC: skin-to-skin contact wherein babies are kept, day and night, between the mother’s breasts firmly attached in an upright position, frequent and exclusive or nearly exclusive breast feeding, and early discharge from hospital regardless of weight or gestational age.
Dr Vinita Das, head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Mary’s hospital believes the only hitch that may stop mothers from taking to the technique initially is that they will have to wear loose garments when keeping the baby in a lycra pouch close to the body.
The technique has demonstrated its usefulness in developing countries where health care facilities are often inadequate or too expensive.
In the KMC the baby is literally tied onto the mother’s bare chest with a strip of cloth that is positioned underneath the baby’s ear. This extends the baby’s head and neck and prevents obstructive apnea (suspension of respiration).
The baby is tied tightly enough so that when the mother breathes, she pushes against the baby’s chest and stimulates breathing. Inside the mother’s shirt, the baby is in a carbon dioxide-rich environment, which also stimulates breathing.
The strip is relaxed every two hours and the baby is fed via breast or whatever means is necessary. The techniques is being put to use at the Jaipur’s Medical College, KEM Hospital Mumbai, PGI, Chandigarh and Chennai’s Institute of Child Health.