Effect of "Kangaroo Mother Care" on Premature Infants Physiological Outcomes

This project aims at testing the effect of applying the KMC on the premature infants' physiological outcomes. The findings of this project are expected to contribute to the discipline of preterm infants' care by providing evidence of the benefits, barriers, and facilities of providing the KMC in our Jordanian NICUs.

Premature infants are often unable physiologically to adapt well to the stressful environment of the NICU. These neonates are commonly at risk for the development of short and long term outcomes ranging from mild developmental delay to severe disability. The Kangaroo mother care approach (KMC) is developed to minimize the effect of prematurity and the NICU environmental stressors on premature infants. This project aims at assessing the neonatal nurses' knowledge and attitudes of the application of the KMC approach in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), testing the effect of applying the KMC on the premature infants' physiological outcomes, and exploring the mothers' lived experiences of providing KMC for their premature infants. The findings of this project are expected to contribute to the discipline of preterm infants' care by providing evidence of the benefits, barriers, and facilities of providing the KMC in our Jordanian NICUs.

Breastfeeding outcome will be measured for both groups by the numbers of preterm infants discharged on either exclusive or partial breastfeeding

A non-invasive signal monitor connected to the infant cardio-respiratory monitor that captures ECG and respiratory data will be used

Inclusion Criteria: all stable preterm or low birth weight infants (stable infants are those who are able to breath unassisted and have no major health problems (WHO, 2003)), weighing more than 1800gm, who are admitted to the NICUs at the time of study and whose mothers consent to participate and willing to practice the KMC with her infant Exclusion Criteria: high risk preterm or low birth weight infants.