Kangaroo care is the act of placing a neonate skin to skin with their mother or father. This care is commonly provided by mothers but can also be provided by fathers. Paternal kangaroo care offers many benefits for both the father and the neonate. By implementing this care, the opportunity for fathers to bond with their neonate is provided. This bonding experience is important as many neonates spend several weeks in the NICU. The time away from their neonate can be particularly stressful for the family. Kangaroo care provides a means for the father to provide care for his neonate during their time in the NICU. The benefits to the neonate include maintaining greater temperature stability, stabilized heart rate, and respirations within normal limits. It is believed that healthcare providers lack the understanding about paternal kangaroo care and its benefits. This article will provide the evidence based practice to support and promote paternal kangaroo care. The goal of this research study is to provide evidence based research that promotes paternal kangaroo care
Background
The act of providing kangaroo care to neonates is something that has been around for many years. Having a mother and newborn experience skin to skin, chest to chest contact was first studied in 1970 (Ludington-Hoe, 2011). This care was studied many years ago but has not been promoted and utilized as it should. When neonates are born prematurely, the parents and neonate experience a great amount of stress. The ideal thought of giving birth to a healthy term infant has been shattered. The neonate must adjust to extrauterine life and the parents experience separation anxiety as their neonate is admitted to the NICU. The act of kangaroo care promotes bonding and a...
... middle of paper ...
...based research will provide a means to implement changes in the way we care for neonates in the NICU. These changes will promote growth and development for the neonate and facilitate positive paternal bonding experiences.
Conclusion
Nursing research should be completed with the goal of improving patient care and outcomes. The ultimate goal of this research study is to provide the needed evidence based information to promote paternal kangaroo care to neonates in the NICU. Effective utilization of evidence based practice depends on the ability to find and analyze data, critically examine a patient’s current condition and needs, and apply the appropriate interventions to achieve the desired outcome (2012). With the gained knowledge from this study, it is anticipated that paternal kangaroo care will become a standard of practice in NICU’s across the United States.
In 1976 Marshall H. Klaus and John H. Kennell came out with a book called “Parent Infant Bonding”. It discussed their hypothesis that like other animals, there is a brief moment directly following the birth of a child where skin-to-skin contact between mother and offspring creates a strong bond. Although this theory continues to be supported by many, some criticized the process of Klaus and Kennell’s studies. Some of these criticisms likely came from their definition of a “critical” time period after birth.
The very low birth weight are newborns that weigh less than 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams). Unfortunately, newborns that are under 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams) do not often survive, and the ones that do have delayed motor skills and cognitive development. The numbers decrease further to extremely low birth weight of 2.2 pounds (1,000 grams), where chance of life is very small. Low birth weight babies 1,500 grams – 2,500 grams (3.3 -5.5 pounds) have a good chance they will survive with proper care. Newborns that are small-for-date are placed in incubators that are sealed beds where temperature and air quality is regulated. The beds isolate the infants from pathogens and the environment. The babies need sensory stimulation to grow, so a recorded tape is played of the mothers soothing voice. Visual stimulation from video, and tactile stimulation helps foster physical and cognitive development in the baby. At five months while the fetus is in the womb ithas sensory capabilities, and can hear the mother’s heart beating, food digestion, speaking, and others speaking to her! The incubator stimulates this environment. There is great success with proper attention and care to the low birth weight babies, and. Many of the low birth weight babies are effects of parents that live in poverty, unable to access adequate medical care, and they experience stress due to an unhealthy family life.
Nurses play a big role in supporting the parents while their child is in the NICU. Showing compassion and demonstrating caring actions when caring for the patient makes it more likely that the parents will trust the nurse and the information the nurse gives them regarding their child’s condition. This trust is important as it helps the parents feel confident in the decisions they are making about their child’s care. When the parents of an ill child in the NICU have decided to terminate treatment palliative care by the nurse and other healthcare providers comes into play. Palliative care is keeping the child comfortable by treating the symptoms and being there for the parents and child physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Eden & Callister, 2010).
When a parent has a baby staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they are worried and stressed about the health of their baby. This worriedness and stress can lead to the parents developing Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. A parent is more likely to develop Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder if they experience a fear of the unknown and fear of death, quality of life, medical interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and stories from other parent’s experiences with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A study founded that with parents who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience suffering in social relationships, this includes marital relationships. The article suggest childbirth educators should prepare parents for the possibility of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder in prenatal classes and teach the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, so parents can recognize if they start to show the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder that they can receive the help they need.
Let us take a look at the most important factor that determines the health of our adult relationships; that is infant attachment. From the time that an infant is born, those around him influence the way a child will act or react in any given relationship. It provides a firm foundation upon which all other relationships grow. The idea is that the success of all relationships is dependent upon the success of the first one, namely, of the bond between the infant and his mother or primary caregiver (Brodie, 2008).
...helped her baby at the same time. The positive results are twofold: happy baby, happy mother. Also, the affirmed need for further research brings forth ideas of how to accomplish that need. I could put a plan into action and achieve that goal in my practice setting. Integrating research into the practice of nursing is rewarding and helps to contribute to the advancement of education.
After birth, babies immediately begin to establish a bond with his or her caregiver (BOOK). There are instances, such as childbirth complications or sickness; where infants are taken away from the mother immediately after birth. In sterile hospital settings, researchers have determined attachment activities, such as singing, “encourages the infant to strive towards maintaining homeostasis and internal equilibrium”. (A). By fostering attachment, the hospital “ultimately contributes to the infant’s psychological and physical development” (A). The child is able to receive warmth and empathy from the mother, ultimately increasing survival and stimulating physical development. (A)
The health professionals are able to monitor and assess the condition of the new mother with the help of psychological therapies. Psychological therapies are important in providing effective coping measures to an individual. However, in other clinical settings, patients undergo mother-infant therapies for counseling and support
The first article reviewed was an updated meta-analysis by Jayne Standley (2012). Standley had completed an initial meta-analysis in 2002 and this was an update on research that had continued on the subject of music therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the decade since. Thirty studies met the author’s criteria for inclusion and were evaluated by independent variable, dependent variable and results (Standley, 2012). Standley (2012) found that overall there were positive benefits of music therapy with significant effects on heart rate, behavior state, oxygen saturation, sucking or feeding ability and length of stay in the NICU. Standley (2012) did state that more long-term research needs to be completed to determine developmental outcomes, but that the results justify the use of music therapy as evidence-based practice in the NICU.
In Indigenous Australian communities low birth weight infants and infant mortality is much more common than in non-Indigenous Australian communities.
The nurse should develop a close and trusting relationship with the mother and the entire family or whoever her support system is and let them know that the nurse is there to answer any questions or concerns that the mother might have (Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing). The nurse should educate the family on the benefits of kangaroo care and explain to them the importance of skin-to-skin contact and how to implement this contact on a day to day basis. Before the baby is born it is important for the nurse to talk to the mother about the importance of skin-to-skin contact and what they can expect in the moments following the birth of her child. The first contact that a newborn and a mother have is hopefully immediately after childbirth when the nurse places the infant on his or her mother’s bare chest. It is ideal for skin-to-skin contact to take place for at least 30 minutes out of the first hour after birth, but any skin-to-skin contact is beneficial. The nurse could also use skin-to-skin contact time to educate the mother on breastfeeding and helping the baby latch on to feed during this time (Nursing for Women’s Health). Skin-to-skin contact should be used more often than just for feeding times, it is beneficial to do even when the baby is sleeping for bonding purposes. Nurses can place the baby on the baby’s mother or father under a blanket for kangaroo care if the baby is a little cold, or if the baby has fast respirations but their oxygen saturation is normal, kangaroo care can help regulate respirations and possibly save the baby a trip to the NICU as well (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Communication, education and encouragement are three of the most important things a nurse can give to a new mother or any patient they might have. Patients, especially new mothers want to know that they can trust the person that is taking care of her and
The purpose of this paper is to identify a problem evident in the clinical setting, state a proposal to counteract the clinical problem, and review literature which supports best clinical practice. During the first twelve hours of the neonate’s life, the neonate adjusts and transitions to the extra uterine environment (Nix, n.d.). Research has shown that during this transitional period, the neonate is at a high risk for hypoglycemia and hypothermia (Nix, n.d.). Furthermore, neonatal skin to skin contact with its mother is highly recommended during the first few hours of life, for proper thermoregulation, maternal-infant bonding, and exclusive breastfeeding success.
A neonatologist has many tasks and responsibilities before, during, and after the birth of an at-risk newborn. If there is reason to believe there are going to be complications with a birth that would cause negative side effects for the infant, a neonatologist will be brought in to help. In these high-risk situations, a team effort is required and the neonatologist takes the lead position. The neonatologist will be responsible for advising the parents on what to expect during and after labor. After the infant is born, the neonatologist has to find a method to properly care for the baby. Because most premature babies have a low birth-weight, their lungs need to be supported and they need to be kept warm. During this whole process, the neonatologist interacts with the parents to keep them updated on their baby’s condition (Weaver, 2009).
When the baby is admitted to the NICU, the mother is unable to have the usual bonding moments where she holds and comforts her newborn. Rather, when visiting with her child, she is required to take endless precautions, has limited time to be with her baby, and must see her little child connected to many machines helping to keep the baby stable (Shanmugam & Ramachandra, 2015). In their study, Shanmugam and Ramachandra (2015) questioned 100 mothers of neonates in the NICU, and recorded the correlation between their stress level and coping strategies. They found that 38 of the mothers had severe stress, 28 had moderate stress, and the remaining had mild stress. Of these women, 25% had good coping, 50% had moderate coping, and 25% had poor coping. A large finding from this study was that nurses and health care providers played a very big role in helping to reduce the stress levels of the mothers by talking with them and listening to their concerns, while also providing adequate care for their children. If the mother is using negative coping strategies, such as holding in all of her concerns and filling her mind with the thoughts of death, financial issues, and fear of the unknown, she is going to cause her body great harm (Shanmugam & Ramachandra,
As I plan to eventually work with young mothers who have children who are in the foster care system or who are fighting to get their children back, I want to have a clear understand of what it will take to establish a healthy pregnancy. It will be important to implement the prenatal development to these future mothers. Making sure that these mothers have an understanding of what is important in the first stages of prenatal care of their children. For example, going to Doctor’s appointments, taking vitamins, eating healthy, and staying active. This will help provide a safe and healthy pregnancy for any children they may have. I also believe that gaining knowledge over the stages of development will be beneficial to know for the mothers who are fighting to have their children back. Some of these mothers I could be working with might not know what to expect of their one-year-old child. For example, how their brain is developing, what they should be doing cognitively or socially. As a future family life educator, it will be important that I have a clear understanding of these concerns of the child and the development process for the mothers who have the urge to get care of their children