Introduction: Kangaroo Mother Care (K MC) is a simple and effective way to improve the health in low birth weight (LBW)babies in peripheral health centres with ill equipped infra-structure. It achieves a better thermal control and stabilises the vital parameters besides effectively increasing the breast feeding and improvement in the weight gain. Various studies conducted have variable results regarding the effect of KMC on babies .Hence there is a need to further evaluate it’s effect.

Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the effect of KMC on low birth weight babies.

Materials and Methods-It is an prospective observational study conducted in neonatal care unit of tertiary care centre. Mothers with their LBW babies were included as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria.KMC was started in these babies after counselling of mothers. The details of gestational age, Birth weight, Weight gain were recorded. The vital parameters such as temperature, Heart rate and Respiratory rate and SPO₂ was also recorded before and after KMC.

Results: Total 80 newborns were enrolled in this study. Out of these 40 newborns had a gestational age of 32-34 weeks, the mean birth weight was 1.626 KG. The increase in the weight after KMC was seen in 40 babies out of 57 after 4 days and all babies after 8-12 days of KMC with an average weight gain of 14.53 gms. The change in temperature ranged from -2 to +2 ^oF and 78 babies had increased in temperature. The change in heart rate (HR) ranged from 3 to 12 beats/min.73 babies had decreased heart rate. The range of change in respiratory rate (RR) was 3 to 8 per minute. Total 75 babies had a decreased RR. The change in SPO₂ was 3 to 8 and total 78 babies showed an increase in the SPO₂. The mean of HR was 146.95 and 139.55, For RR 45.96 and 40.175, for temperature 97.69 and  98.50 and was 93.55 -97.48 for SPO₂ before and after receiving KMC respectively .P value was <0.0001 in all parameters.

Discussion: Majority of babies were between 32-34 weeks of gestation and with a mean birth weight of 1.626 kg. The chances of gain in the weight increased with increase in duration of KMC. There was significant increase in the temperature and SPO₂ and decrease in HR and RR after KMC in majority of Babies.

Keywords: Kangaroo Mother Care(KMC).Low birth weight (LBW) babies, Vital parameters.

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Dr Deepa.S.Phirke

Associate Professor, Government Medical College,

Miraj, Maharashtra, India