November is Prematurity Awareness Month!
During the month of November, we reflect on all of the the premature infants born each and everyday, the clinicians who care for them, and the parents. Despite all of the latest technology and advances in healthcare, one in ten children are born prematurely in the United States. Additionally, infants born prematurely are more likely to have long-term academic difficulties, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, and/or emotional and behavioral issues that will not only impact their life, but they also have a significant toll on the entire family.
A practice that has repeatedly shown to improve both neonatal and parental outcomes depsite a preterm delivery, is early and consistent skin-to-skin care. The small action of assisting parents with immediate skin-to-skin care has a very BIG IMPACT! Obviously, every clinical situation is different, but when possible, infants should be skin-to-skin with their parents.
The benefits of kangaroo care are endless and not just for the baby! Kangaroo care has shown benefits for homeostasis for preterm infants including maintaining a healthy body temperature and increased cardiorespiratory stabilization. The most substantial benefit of skin-to-skin care has been the increased volume of breast milk production by the mother resulting in a longer duration of breastfeeding.
Skin-to-skin care promotes participation of both parents in caring for the infant, it strengthens the family role in caring for a fragile infant, and decreases the common feelings of helplessness which helps parents become more comfortable with their infant and more confident! It actually allows parents to nurture and care for their fragile infant.
Listen now to hear all of the benefits of skin-to-skin care! Together we truly can make a difference in the lives of the infants and parents! Get ready to become empowered as we review the benefits of Kangaroo care in the NICU!
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