Standing transfer for kangaroo care
Kangaroo care has become one of the mainstream practices in the NICU. The benefits for the infant and the parents are endless. It is encouraged in NICUs especially for preterm infants due to it’s proven benefits, but also because it allows the parents to hold their premature baby and bond with them even within the first few days.
Kangaroo care or skin-to-skin care refers to a method of holding an infant in an upright and prone position, skin-to-skin on the parent’s chest for a period of time. The infant will only have a hat and diaper in place and the parent will also have bare skin.
Kangaroo care has shown benefits for homeostasis for preterm infants including maintaining a healthy body temperature and increased cardiorespiratory stabilization. Additionally, kangaroo care is associated with decreased likelihood of infection, severe illness, and death for preterm infants. A recent study showed that even a very small amount of kangaroo care as minimal as 1 hour a day for 14 days with preterm infants compared to infants who remained in an isolette, was associated with improved fetal and maternal outcomes 10 years later.
Skin-to-skin care also 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. That is huge! Kangaroo care actually helps parents feel like parents in an environment that often leaves them feeling powerless! Research has also shown that mothers and fathers in a skin-to-skin care rich-environment were found to be more sensitive, had more affectionate touch of their infant and spouse, and the family style was overall more cohesive. And most importantly, kangaroo care helps the parents become more comfortable with their infant and more confident! It actually allows parents to nurture and care for their fragile infant.
We dedicated two full episodes on our Empowering NICU Parents Podcast to kangaroo care. In our first episode, Kangaroo Care in the NICU: How Does it Benefit the Infant and the Parents, we reviewed the importance of kangaroo care, specifically in the NICU and the many benefits it offers. Even with my knowledge base and years of NICU experience, it was an amazing reminder of just how beneficial and crucially important kangaroo care can be when practiced on a regular basis. Click below for a free visual graphic that breaks down all of the benefits of kangaroo care for the infant and the parents.
In our second kangaroo care podcast, Kangaroo Care in the NICU: How to address the barriers, assess for readiness, and transfer the infant safely, we reviewed some of the common barriers for skin-to-skin care as well as some of the recommendations to minimize the obstacles for daily kangaroo care. Next, we reviewed the How To’s for skin-to-skin care and discussed the different methods for the transfer of the infant from their isolette to the parent’s chest.
The standing transfer is often encouraged but can be very overwhelming for parents. Click below to watch the video as I performed the standing transfer with our son while he still intubated and in the NICU.
You will be amazed at how well your infant responds to kangaroo care and the emotions you feel as you’re able to do it and become more comfortable with it. We also developed a log for you to document each and every time you get the pleasure of doing skin-to-skin care with your little one. It will be a amazing keepsake!
