A Prospective Study on Impact of Kangaroo Mother Care Among Low- Birth-Weight Babies in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India

Introduction: KMC has been documented as a safe and effective alternative method of care of low birth weight (LBW) babies in developing as well as developed countries to meet the baby’s need for warmth, breast feeding, protection from infection, stimulation, safety and love; improving maternal confidence and lactation and promoting early hospital discharge. 1 In terms of cost and impact on neonatal survival, it has comparative advantages over the conventional method of care (CMC). 2 But still KMC is not a widely practiced method of care of LBW babies in India. This study aimed at reviewing the evidence concerning the progress of KMC implementation and its health benefits especially in India. Methods: A prospective cohort study including inborn babies with birth weight <1800g with their mothers/ care givers was conducted at SNCU, Medical College, Kolkata over a period of 1 year from January to December 2023. Babies with hemodynamic instability and major congenital anomalies were excluded from the study. Results: 480 LBW (<1800g) babies were followed till discharge or 40 week post menstrual age, which ever was earlier. The babies having KMC had significant reduction of hypothermia (p value 0.03) and incidence of sepsis (p value 0.003). KMC was found to be associated with a significant reduction in the risk of mortality (RR 0.7). KMC group had earlier initiation of breastfeeding (mean difference 3 days), increased rate of daily weight gain (mean difference 5.61 g/day), earlier regaining of birth weight (mean difference 5.22 days) and decrease in duration of hospital stay (mean difference 2 days). Conclusion: This study supports the use of KMC in LBW (<1800g) as an adjunct to conventional neonatal care mainly in resource limited settings. KMC has significant positive impact on initiation and sustaining breast feeding, growth parameters and mother infant bonding.