What exactly is “Kangaroo Care?
Kangaroo Care is just a nickname for skin-to-skin contact, parent to baby. It was “discovered” in South America, where a certain group of doctors found themselves without incubators. They asked mothers to hold their preemies skin-to-skin, 24/7, in order to keep them warm. The mothers did so, carrying their babies in a front sack created with a large scarf (thereby inspiring the name “Kangaroo Care”). Not only did it work, but the doctors found the premature babies thrived. Their breathing was better, as was their overall health. Study after study shows that little babies who are held skin-to-skin do far better than those who are only touched for medical reasons. For more details, check out this article: http://www.prematurity.org/baby/kangaroo.html Last update: July 1, 2007.
