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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Feb:58:101416.
doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101416. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Parent-Training with Kangaroo Care Impacts Infant Neurophysiological Development & Mother-Infant Neuroendocrine Activity

Jillian S Hardin  1 , Nancy Aaron Jones  2 , Krystal D Mize  3 , Melannie Platt  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Parent-Training with Kangaroo Care Impacts Infant Neurophysiological Development & Mother-Infant Neuroendocrine Activity

Jillian S Hardin et al. Infant Behav Dev. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

A randomized control trial was conducted to investigate the effects of skin-to-skin, chest-to-chest contact (kangaroo care, KC) in mother-infant dyads on patterns of infant brain activity and associated mother-infant neurohormone releases. 33 mother-infant dyads participated during pregnancy (29-38 weeks gestation), at neonatal and 3-month periods. Overall, analyses indicated that: 1) infants in the KC group showed left frontal brain activation patterns (asymmetry and coherence) associated with KC training; 2) KC produced moderate to large increases in oxytocin levels; and 3) KC yielded moderate decreases in cortisol reactivity. Findings suggest KC may garner favorable neuro-maturational and neurobiological outcomes for dyads.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Frontal EEG asymmetry scores as a function of KC training and use in early infancy.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Frontal coherence values for 3–6 Hz.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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