A Supportive Family for Successful Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): A Review

Description

Page: 113-117

Himani Yadav¹, Bijayalaxmi Panda², and Neeraj Jham³ (Deputy Director, CH &CHN, NHM, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh¹, State Co-ordinator-Partnerships, The Antara Foundation, NHM, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh², and Director, Programme, The Antara Foundation, Delhi³)

Kangaroo Mother Care is a multifaceted approach that requires the collaboration of healthcare professionals, families, and communities to ensure its effective implementation and to improve the health and survival of premature and low-birthweight infants. The increased attention and recognition of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in India have noticed a positive trend in improving neonatal care. One of the most important barriers of KMC faces significant barriers due to lack of family members and cooperation, resulting in insufficient time for mothers to stay by their infants and rest. Emphasizing the active participation of family members in KMC helps overcome challenges related to maternal issues, making it more accessible and effective. KMC has been associated with improved neurodevelopment in preterm infants, which can have long-lasting positive effects on a child’s cognitive and motor skills. KMC can be administered by various family members, including mothers, fathers, and other responsible adults. This is a review-based paper on KMC focusing on the importance and benefits of KMC, emerging issues, and the primary role of family members in promoting KMC for enhancing the health and survival of premature and low-birthweight infants. It also shows practices from the field of Madhya Pradesh through the involvement of nurse mentors at the community and facility level to enhance the health and survival of premature and low-birthweight infants through home visits, training programs, and counselling at the facility level in Madhya Pradesh.