The Impact Of Kangaroo Mother Care

Description

ABSTRACT

This study examines the role of Kangaroo Care (KC) in an infant’s early development and their vital physiology. By surveying past studies performed analyzing the specific effects of KC, the most relevant health effects of kangaroo care were chosen to analyze. These effects are on neurological, autonomic, somatic, behavioural, and motor development. Infant vital signs illustrate changes upon initiation of KC. These include changes in sleep cycles, heart rate, feeding efficiency, respiratory rate, crying and bonding between caretaker and infant. Chosen studies also addressed the effect of KC on preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants and found KC to reduce duration of hospital stays and mortality. Through examination of past studies the effects of KC were varied from infant to infant due to different medical histories and health factors. The overall conclusion from the previous studies showed that KC had positive effects on the development of a child during the first two years of life. KC is shown to favourably impact an infant and show minimal to no disadvantage to an infant’s health.

ABBREVIATIONS AND THEIR MEANING

KMC: Kangaroo mother care

KC: Kangaroo care

LBW: Low birth weight

SSC: Skin-to-skin contact

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABBREVIATIONS AND THEIR MEANING

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH QUESTION
• HYPOTHESIS
• DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• DEFINITION OF TERMS
• METHODOLOGY
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• CONCEPTIONAL FRAMEWORK
• THEORITICAL BACKGROUND
• THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF KMC
• DENTITION OF KANGAROOS
• BEHAVIOUR OF KANGAROOS
• BENEFIT OF KANGAROO MOTHER CARE
• CONSEQUENCES OF KANGAROO MOTHER CARE
• SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• INTRODUCTION
• STUDY AREA
• RESEARCH DESIGN
• SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
• POPULATION OF THE STUDY
• METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION AND INSTRUMENT
• VALIDATION AND RELIABILITY
• METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0      RESULT AND DISCUSSION

• RESULT
• DISCUSSION
• TESTING OF SYSTEM OPERATION
• CHAPTER FIVE
• CONCLUSION
• SUMMARY
• RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCE

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                                           BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Kangaroo, any of six large species of Australian marsupials noted for hopping and bouncing on their hind legs. The term kangaroo, most specifically used, refers to the eastern gray kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo, and the red kangaroo, as well as to the antilopine kangaroo and two species of wallaroo. Less specifically, kangaroo refers to all 14 species in the genus Macropus, some of which are called wallabies. In its broadest usage, kangaroo refers to any member of the family Macropodidae, which comprises about 65 species, including tree kangaroos and the quokka; rat kangaroos belong to a “sister” family, Potoroidae. The Macropodidae are found in Australia (including Tasmania and other offshore islands, such as Kangaroo Island), New Guinea, and the islands east to the Bismarcks. Several species have been introduced into New Zealand.

It’s become increasingly clear over decades of studies that the early days, months and years of a child’s life are critical for their future physical and mental health. The remarkable findings of a recent study suggest that close skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby combined with breastfeeding in the early days creates demonstrable improvements to the child’s future health and well-being that are still evident even after 20 years.

This technique, known as “kangaroo mother care” is generally associated with caring for low-birthweight premature babies. It features skin-to-skin contact between a mother (or father) and their newborn, frequent and exclusive or nearly-exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge from hospital.

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) implies placing the newborn baby in intimate skin-to-skin contact with the mother’s chest and abdomen coupled with frequent and preferably exclusive breast-feeding. This is similar to marsupial care-giving, where the premature baby is kept warm in the maternal pouch and close to the breasts for unlimited feeding. KMC has emerged as a non-conventional low cost method for newborn care that provides warmth, touch, and security to the newborn and is believed to confer significant survival benefit. An updated Cochrane review has reported that KMC benefits breastfeeding outcomes and cardio-respiratory stability in infants without negative effects.

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a non-conventional, low-cost method for newborn care based upon intimate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. Kangaroo care (KC) or Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is when infants are carried or held to their caretaker’s chest. This can occur moments after birth for maximal effect and can continue to be implemented through the first years of life. Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is a specialized form of KC. It is when an infant rests on their caretaker’s chest with no clothing between their skin and their caretakers. KC affects the psychological and physical development as well as the health of an infant during the first years of life. Several factors correlate with an infant’s development and the practice of KC. These effects are on neurological, autonomic, somatic, behavioural, and motor development. In addition, infant vital signs illustrate measurable changes upon initiation of KC. These include changes in sleep cycles, heart rate, feeding efficiency, respiratory rate, crying, and bonding between caretaker and infant. In this paper studies will be discussed that have addressed the effect of KC on preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants, such as an increase in health by reducing the duration of hospital stays and mortality. Although the effects of KC vary from infant to infant due to different medical histories and health factors, an infant’s health has been shown in a variety of studies to be influenced by KC. This paper will present the role of KC. The discussion will demonstrate how this type of care favourably impacts an infant.

This was a quasi-experimental study. One hundred newborns who were admitted to in neonatal intensive care unit of General hospital okundi boki local government area, They were randomly divided into two groups (experimental group, n = 50 and control group, n = 50). In the experimental group, newborns were taken daily KMC for an hour during 7 days. In the control group, routine care was performed in the incubator. The data gathering tool was questionnaire of infants and mother characteristics, checklists of vital signs and oxygen saturation. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 19 software using descriptive and inferential statistics (Independent t -test, Paired t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA).

The findings of this study indicate the effect of KMC on enhancement of physiological indices. Therefore, it is recommended that KMC is taken as one of the routine care of premature infants.

1.2                                                  PROBLEM STATEMENT

Every year, more than 20 million infants are born weighing less than 2.5kg – over 96% of them in developing countries. These low-birth-weight (LBW) infants are at increased risk of early growth retardation, infectious disease, developmental delay and death during infancy and childhood.

Conventional neonatal care of low-birth-weight (LBW) infants is expensive and needs both highly skilled personnel and permanent logistic support. Evidence suggests that kangaroo mother care is a safe and effective alternative to conventional neonatal care, especially in under-resourced settings and may reduce morbidity and mortality in LBW infants as well as increase breastfeeding. Kangaroo mother care involves:

• early, continuous and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her newborn
• frequent and exclusive breastfeeding
• early discharge from hospital.

Kangaroo mother care is recommended WHO for the routine care of newborns weighing 2000 g or less at birth, and should be initiated in health-care facilities as soon as the newborns are clinically stable.

Newborns weighing 2000 g or less at birth should be provided as close to continuous Kangaroo mother care as possible.

Intermittent Kangaroo mother care, rather than conventional care, is recommended for newborns weighing 2000 g or less at birth, if continuous Kangaroo mother care is not possible.

1.3                                     AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

Aim of the study

The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of kangaroo mother care thereby promoting the spread and implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) as the standard method of care for all newborn babies in General hospital okundi boki local government area.

Objective of the Study

The objectives of the work are:

1. To assess physiological state of low babies weight, babies before and after KMC in a teaching hospital setting.
2. To study the impact of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) on children.

• To study the effect and consequences of practicing kangaroo mother care.

1.4                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Skin to skin contact is beneficial for both you and your baby. Healthcare centres encourage mothers to use the kangaroo mother care method to care for their newborns. Named after kangaroos that carry their babies in their pouches, the method can also be done by fathers, helping them bond with their babies. This study will throw more light on the need for Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and the correct way of practicing it.

1.5                                                   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study reviews the evidence concerning the progress of KMC implementation, its health benefits, and its cost-effectiveness, especially in developing countries. From the synthesized evidence, KMC was shown to be a useful adjunct to CMC particularly with respect to improving neonatal survival, supporting breastfeeding, and promoting early discharge from the hospital. Substantial progress has been made in its implementation in many developing countries where facility-based KMC has been institutionalized. Despite the cost-effectiveness of KMC in neonatal care, its global implementation is bedeviled with country-specific, multifaceted challenges. In developed countries, there is an implementation gap due to easy accessibility to technology-based CMC. Nevertheless, many developing countries have initiated national policies to scale up KMC services in their domain. Given the major constraints to program implementation peculiar to these resource-limited countries, it has become imperative to boost caregiver confidence and experience using dedicated spaces in the hospital, as well as dedicated staff meant for adequate ambulatory follow-up and continuous health education.

1.6                                                   RESEARCH QUESTION

Why is Kangaroo Mother Care important?

What are the benefits of kangaroo care?

How do kangaroo mothers care?

Does kangaroo mother care save lives?

1.7                                             HYPOTHESIS

Hi: There is a mean time difference between kangaroo mother care and the conventional care method to initiate breastfeeding among preterm and LBW infants.

Ho: There is no mean time difference between kangaroo mother care and the conventional care method to initiate breastfeeding among preterm and LBW infants.

1.8                            DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

In preterm and LBW infants, skin-to-skin contact between the mother and her infant decreases maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and improves self-efficacy and mother-child bonding. Preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants who are receiving KMC gain more weight per day, have better heart rate and breathing regulation, and have effective oxygenation preterm. Furthermore, it facilitates the newborn early initiation and effective breastfeeding, and in turn effective breastfeeding reduces the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis which is a leading cause of death in preterm infants

1.9                                             LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

As we all know that no human effort to achieve a set of goals goes without difficulties, certain constraints were encountered in the course of carrying out this project and they are as follows:-

1. The major problem discovered when carrying out this research was on diversity of tradition, culture and religion. It was discovered that it was only minority of people belief on the practice of this study due to their tradition, religion or culture.
2. Difficulty in information collection: I found it too difficult in laying hands of useful information regarding this work and this course me to visit different libraries and internet for solution.

• Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1. Time Constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.10                                               DEFINITION OF TERMS

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a method for newborn care based upon intimate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby.

Premature birth: A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby’s estimated due date.

1.11                                     PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied, chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.