The effect of kangaroo mother care on the duration of phototherapy of infants re-admitted for neonatal jaundice

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2012 Aug;25(8):1354-7. doi: 10.3109/14767058.2011.634459. Epub 2011 Nov 28.

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the effect of kangaroo mother care (KMC) on the duration of phototherapy of jaundiced neonates.

Methods: Fifty Egyptian newborns hospitalized for jaundice were investigated through a prospective observational study to determine whether intermittent KMC would reduce the duration of phototherapy required.

Results: The babies who received KMC recovered earlier from jaundice and needed a shorter duration of phototherapy than the control group (68.14 ± 24.32 hour versus 100.86 ± 42.26 hour, p = 0.004).

Conclusion: KMC may be an effective intervention to reduce the duration of phototherapy needed when jaundiced babies are hospitalized.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Delivery, Obstetric / methods
  • Delivery, Obstetric / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Jaundice, Neonatal / epidemiology
  • Jaundice, Neonatal / therapy*
  • Kangaroo-Mother Care Method*
  • Male
  • Patient Readmission* / statistics & numerical data
  • Phototherapy / methods*
  • Premature Birth / epidemiology
  • Premature Birth / therapy
  • Term Birth / physiology
  • Time Factors