Evaluation of Kangaroo Mother Care for Low-birth-weight Newborn in the Community Settings

Objectives: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an evidence-based strategy to lower infant mortality. However, its implementation is poor. The purpose of this study is to evaluate KMC practice by mothers to their low-birthweight (LBW) newborn at home on their weight outcome in rural community. This would be beneficial in planning and executing necessary intervention in this area for LBW newborn’s better health outcomes. Methods: This was a community-based prospective study conducted in six health sectors of the Chhuria Block of Rajnandgaon District, Chhattisgarh. 150 mothers who have LBW newborn were included in the study and were provided with a KMC bag along with a demonstration on its usage. They were encouraged to practice KMC for at least 8 hours per day. Project field staff collected data manually on KMC practice and weight gain in LBW babies through a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Results: The mean age of mothers with LBW was 25.16±3.63 years, while the mean birth weight of LBW newborn at the time of delivery was 2.22±0.21 kg. Females outnumbered male LBW newborns (ratio=1.11: 1). The time for skin-to-skin contact was 7-9 hours per day in 86.7% of cases. After the first five days of KMC practice, there was a weight gain of 0.243±0.055 kg; 0.258±0.037 kg for days five to ten; and 0.243±0.046 kg for days ten to fifteen.