| Learning Objective #1: Discuss strategies to implement kangaroo holding in the NICU environment | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Compare the research findings on kangaroo holding to determine best practice for the NICU environment |
Over the last ten years, kangaroo holding has been increasingly adopted as part of nursing practice in special care nurseries across the United States. It is the practice of skin-to-skin holding of infants clad only in diapers against their mothers’ chest for more than an hour at a time to promote maternal-infant feelings of closeness. There is a plethora of research that examines positive physiologic effects on infant temperature, cardiorespiratory function, and oxygen saturation. To date, no adverse physiologic responses have been reported; in addition, several studies report a positive trend for parent/infant bonding and greater quiet sleep of the infant following kangaroo holding. It is unfortunate then, that as an indirect result of the critical nursing shortage, the practice of implementing kangaroo holding is inconsistent and many times absent in nurseries across the United States.
The purpose of this presentation is to relate current research to factors nurses use as determinants of implementing kangaroo holding of premature infants. A protocol of care to consistently implement kangaroo holding in any nursery environment is proposed, framed in a model of evidenced-based nursing practice.
This protocol provides a foundation for standards of care in holding and guides further research in determining the best method to examine the benefits of early kangaroo holding for infant developmental outcome and maternal attachment.
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