A randomized controlled trial of kangaroo mother care versus conventional method on vital signs and arterial oxygen saturation rate in newborns who were hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The Kangaroo mother care (KMC) method is the best care method that can provide the newborn's skin normal contact with the mother's skin for all newborns, especially the premature or underweight. However, this method has not still become common in some countries and many hospitals in Iran. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the impact of KMC method on vital signs and arterial oxygen saturation of newborns compared to the incubator care method in order to facilitate this method. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study was performed on 53 neonates who have been hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; they were randomly divided into two case and control groups. The KMC was conducted on newborns in the study group for an hour each day for 3 consecutive days. The vital signs including temperature, respiratory and heart rate per minute, and the arterial oxygen saturation rate were measured and recorded before, during and after caring process in both groups and then were compared and analyzed. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that the average temperature variations and the arterial oxygen saturation rate between the two groups had significant differences in 3 days of examining (P < 0/056, P = 0/00), but there were no significant differences in the mean heart and respiration rate between the two groups (P = NS). Thus, the Kangaroo care method is effective in the improvement and stabilizing of vital signs of newborns, and nurses can train this method to mothers.