[Effect of very early kangaroo care on extrauterine temperature adaptation in newborn infants with hypothermia problems]

Abstract

Increased morbidity and mortality has been associated with neonates admitted with body temperatures below 36 degrees C. We employed an experimental design in a randomized control trial to compare the effectiveness of using early kangaroo care (KC) for extrauterine temperature adaptation against that of using radiant warmers. Trial subjects included 78 consecutive cesarean newborn infants with hypothermia problems. The KC group received skin-to-skin contact with their mothers in the post-operative room, while infants in the control group received routine care under radiant warmers. The mean temperature of the KC group was slightly higher than that of the control group (36.29 degrees C vs. 36.22 degrees C, p = .044). After four hours, 97.43% of KC group infants had reached normal body temperatures, compared with 82.05% in the radiant warmer group. Results demonstrate the positive effects of KC for extrauterine temperature adaptation in hypothermia infants. In the course of evidence-based practice, KC could be incorporated into the standard care regimen in order to improve hypothermia care.