He Kangaroo Mother method It is a technique with large benefits for premature babies. It is inspired by the marsupials that are born immature and continue their growth outside the uterus, protected from the mother, until they are ready to integrate into their environment.
It consists of placing the baby in the mother's bare chest favoring skin-to-skin contact between them. She (or the father, who can also practice the method) remains seated or semi-seated, wrapping the baby as long as possible.
The Kangaroo Mother method has proved to be a very effective technique in the treatment of premature babies, so it is increasingly recommended in neonatal intensive care units as a complement to the incubator and also at home.
So that parents of premature babies can learn a little more about this technique originated in Colombia, we will deepen on the benefits of the Mother Kangaroo method.
Emotional benefits
The baby finds in his mother his natural habitat, where he finds shelter and food. Skin-to-skin contact is vital for the child. It provides security, tranquility and favors the emotional bond of the child with his mother / father, which impacts on its development.
Neurological benefits
The baby who is in contact with his mother better regulate stress and it adapts better to the environment and to external stimuli, it has even been proven that the kangaroo method helps premature babies to better tolerate the pain of medical interventions.
It helps to launch their neurobiological mechanisms and improve their adaptive responses.
Improve vital signs
By being in contact with his mother's body the baby gets a better body temperature regulation. There is a kind of synchronization between the two, so if the baby needs heat, the mother's body temperature rises, but if the baby has a fever, the mother's temperature drops.
In addition, it obtains a good level of oxygen, stabilizes the respiratory and cardiac frequency and coordinates suction-swallowing better, which helps to gain weight more quickly.
It's economic
You don't need large resources to implement it. It is a safe, effective, natural, easy to apply and economical method. In fact, it occurred to him to use this method to a Colombian neonatologist in 1978 as an alternative to the shortage of incubators.
Improvements in the baby
It promotes its psychomotor development, decreases apnea (temporary cessation of breathing) and improves the baby's immune system by protecting it from infections. Your clinical situation noticeably improves, which helps the baby gain weight and recover faster.
Benefits for parents
In the case of the breastfeeding mother, having the baby breast makes it suck more frequently thus increasing milk production, which has an impact on the baby's benefit.
At the same time, parents feel they are part of their baby's recovery, they feel more confident and stronger to cope with the period in the hospital.
Who have practiced the Kangaroo Mother method ensure that it is an intoxicating and pleasant experience, and of course the well-being of the parents is reflected in the baby.
