Kangaroo Care Saves Baby

Categories: News

This week, an Australian couple, Kate and David Ogg, said that a "kangaroo cuddle" saved the life of one of their twins. Doctors told the couple that baby boy Jamie, who was delivered prematurely at 27 weeks and weighed 2.2 pounds, would not live.

Hospital staff tried to resuscitate the child for 20 minutes before giving the parents the heartbreaking news that Jamie had died, meaning only one of their babies would make it, French news agency AFP reported.

But Kate placed the baby on her chest and used the kangaroo method, which involves skin-to-skin contact between mother and child. She remained in that position for two hours and soon the infant's gasps became more regular and, after a while, he opened his eyes. When the Oggs sent their doctor a message that Jamie was showing signs of life, he dismissed the movements as reflexes.

Kangaroo care is a method that's often used on premature babies where the infant has skin-to-skin contact with his or her mother, just like a marsupial. It's thought that this type of closeness can help regulate the preemie's heartbeat and body temperature, giving the baby a better chance of survival.

In typical kangaroo care, the baby wears only a diaper and is secured to the mother's chest in a head-up position with a piece of cloth (example top left). The cloth wraps around under the baby's bottom to create a tight bundle -- like a kangaroo pouch.

Dr. Mitchell Goldstein, who practices neonatal-perinatal medicine and pediatrics in West Covina, Calif., tells AOL Health that it is possible that this baby was saved by kangaroo care. "This story is intriguing. I'm not saying that in all cases kangaroo care will resuscitate every preterm baby, but there are certain cues moms provide for babies -- it's something that's a testimony to the maternal instinct bond," he says.

"In the NICU, we're applying chest compression and respiration that are much more vigorous. Medications and fluids were probably given, and then when these things did not make a difference, they gave up. Would I advocate using kangaroo care before vigorous resuscitation? No. But after trying it, yes," says Goldstein.

But kangaroo care isn't for all preemies. If a baby is so small that his skin hasn't had a chance to fully developed, the skin could stick to the mother's body, causing more harm than good, Goldstein says.

Kangaroo care widely is used in developing countries where hospital crowding is common and there is a shortage of caregivers. If there aren't enough incubators available, skin-to-skin contact can regulate the baby's temperature. The method also allows for easy access for breast feeding and bonding opportunities between parent and baby (dads can do it, too).

Other benefits of kangaroo care include less stress for the parent and baby and lower hospital costs. But for the Oggs, the proof that kangaroo care works comes from the fact that their son Jamie is now very much alive and thriving. Now 5 months old, he and his twin sister have been taken to the United States on a media tour with their parents.

"Studies have shown that in third world countries kangaroo care improves survival rates by 90 percent," says Goldstein. "Moms are nature's incubators -- and not only to warm a baby. If a baby's temperature gets too high the mom will cool down. Kangaroo care also improves breast feeding. It can have a tremendous benefit for all babies, whether or not they are in distress or preterm."