Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Apr 14;24(1):275.
doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07288-y.

A comparative study of the effects of Kangaroo care by mothers and maternal grandmothers on the vital signs of hospitalized preterm newborns: a randomized controlled clinical trial study

Zahra Dargahiyan  1 , Fatemeh Ghasemi  2 , Kimia Karami  3 , Fatemeh Valizadeh  4 , Rasool Mohammadi  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A comparative study of the effects of Kangaroo care by mothers and maternal grandmothers on the vital signs of hospitalized preterm newborns: a randomized controlled clinical trial study

Zahra Dargahiyan et al. Trials. .

Abstract

Background: Kangaroo care (KC) is an effective technique to prevent injury in newborns due to prematurity and hospitalization. Mothers of preterm newborns experience their own set of physical and mental problems. Such circumstances call for another family member to take care of the newborn. This study compared the effect of KC by mothers and maternal grandmothers on the vital signs of preterm newborns.

Methods: This parallel randomized controlled trial was done at the neonatal and NICU departments of the hospital in Kuhdasht in Iran. Eighty preterm neonates were selected through convenience sampling according to the eligibility criteria, then by stratified block randomization allocated to two groups. The control group received KC from the mother, and the intervention group received KC from the maternal grandmothers on the vital signs of preterm newborns. Vital signs were assessed 15 min before, during, and after the KC as the primary outcome. The data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and a form to record the vital signs. Vital signs were measured by a pulse oximeter, an electronic thermometer, and observation. Data were analyzed by the chi-square test, the independent t-test, and the repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: The vital signs of newborns in each group showed a significant difference before, during, and after receiving KC (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, the vital signs of the newborns did not differ significantly between the mother and the maternal grandmother KC groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: KC by maternal grandmother may stabilize the vital signs of preterm newborns as much as when this type of care is provided by the mother. We, therefore, recommend the provision of KC by the maternal grandmother, as a support and substitute for the mother whenever she is incapable of being at the hospital and to enable the mother to rest.

Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20211225053516N1, March 31, 2022.

Keywords: Kangaroo care; Maternal grandmother; Mother; Preterm newborn; Vital signs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The study flowchart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Narciso LM, Beleza LO, Imoto AM. The effectiveness of kangaroo mother care in hospitalization period of preterm and low birth weight infants: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pediatr. 2022;98:117–125. doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2021.06.004. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cao G, Liu J, Liu M. Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality of neonatal preterm birth, 1990–2019. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(8):787–796. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.1622. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Group WIKS Immediate “kangaroo mother care” and survival of infants with low birth weight. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(21):2028–2038. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026486. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Perin J, Mulick A, Yeung D, Villavicencio F, Lopez G, Strong KL, et al. Global, regional, and national causes of under-5 mortality in 2000–19: an updated systematic analysis with implications for the Sustainable Development Goals. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022;6(2):106–115. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31593-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sharifi N, Khazaeian S, Pakzad R, Chehreh H. Investigating the prevalence of preterm birth in Iranian population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Caring Sci. 2017;6(4):371–380. doi: 10.15171/jcs.2017.035. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types