Purpose: The purposes were to relate responses (including unacceptable ones) of twins to shared kangaroo care (KC), to provide explanations for the unexpected responses, and to offer suggestions for safe nursing practice.
Design: A descriptive, evaluative case study was conducted. Both twins received KC while their vital signs and maternal breast temperatures were manually recorded every 30 seconds. Descriptive statistics were computed.
Sample: Identical twins, born to a 19-year-old African-American primigravada, were 34 3/7 weeks postconceptional age with weights of 1,760 and 1,480 g, respectively, when tested. Preterm labor resulted in spontaneous vaginal birth at 30 weeks gestation.
Main outcome variables: Infant heart and respiratory rates, oxygen saturations, abdominal temperatures, and maternal breast temperatures.
Results: Infant A's vital signs exceeded acceptable clinical limits during shared KC; vital signs returned to normal range once Infant A was returned to the incubator. Infant B's vital signs approximated clinically acceptable ranges throughout the session. Breast temperatures did not differ. Individuality mandates vigilant assessment of infant responses to shared KC.