Kangaroo Care & Babywearing Benefits
Medical studies find that Kangaroo Care (KC) / Skin to Skin (S2S) Therapy:
- improves heart rate - babies and caregivers in KC develop a steady, relaxed heart rate
- improves respiratory rate - babies and caregivers in KC develop a steady, relaxed respiratory rate
- improves oxygen saturation - babies in KC experience a rise in oxygen saturation levels
- improves temperature regulation - babies in KC with their birth mother will reach and remain at 98.6*F; babies in KC with other caregivers will stay warmer than in a warming bed
- lowers infections - babies in KC exist in a less distressed state and gain healthy microorganisms from their caregiver’s skin
- prevents apnea - babies in KC experience few episodes of sleep apnea
- improves sleep - babies in KC experience a 70% rise in deep sleep waves within their brains; after 2 weeks of experiencing this rise, babies experience it OUT of KC too
- lowers crying (especially when done by fathers) - babies in KC cry at least 50% less and stop crying faster when doing KC with father
- provides analgesic (pain relief) effect - babies in KC recover faster from (often not reacting to) heel pricks and other painful interventions
- increases milk production - mothers in KC experience an increase in milk production
- increases the ability to breastfeed exclusively - babies and mothers in KC are more likely to accomplish exclusive breastfeeding
- allows for earlier breastfeeding initiation - babies in KC (especially at birth) initiate earlier breastfeeding
- increases general neurobehavioral development - babies who have been in KC test higher on neurobehavioral tests throughout their childhoods
- increases mental and motor scores - babies who have been in KC test higher on mental and motor score tests throughout their childhoods
- increases brain maturation - babies who have been in KC show higher than average age brain maturation
- lowers caregiver’s anxiety (especially the postpartum mother) - caregiver who have been in KC have lower anxiety
- increases the caregiver’s parental/relational satisfaction - caregivers who have been in KC feel like they are successful caregivers
- creates better caregiver/baby attachments - babies and caregivers who have been in KC experience stronger attachment/bonding [ this works caregiver to caregiver too ;)
Medical studies suggest KC/S2S to:
- prevent oxygen desaturations - babies in KC usually experience no oxygen desaturations
- lower apnea episodes - babies in KC who are prone to apnea usually experience fewer apnea episodes outside of KC too
- regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) especially with fathers - babies and caregivers in KC usually experience a lowering of cortisol
- create a more positive interaction between caregiver and infant - babies and caregivers who have been in KC usually interact in a more positive manner
Medical studies warrant consideration of KC/S2S to
- improve weight gain - babies in KC often show an improved weight gain; more studies forthcoming
Babywearing medical research shows that
- using a baby carrier for three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours
- the physical drain from carrying in-arms is 16% greater than using a tool (i.e. a baby carrier) to support the baby’s mass, which is potentially an even larger burden than breastfeeding
- holding babies close in a baby carrier allows us to form a mutual attachment, and is especially beneficial for mothers who are at risk for or suffering from postpartum depression/anxiety
- Those who sniff babies’ heads experience a rise in brain oxytocin levels (the feel good and relaxed hormone), carrying babies in a baby carrier helps us to experience feeling well and relaxed regularly
For an informative overview of kangaroo care, see this powerpoint by Dr. Susan Ludington, the director of the U.S. Institute of Kangaroo Care (USIKC is where I studied to become a Certified Kangaroo Caregiver):
Please contact me with questions by email rachelgaston@hotmail.com or social media @mommyindemand
You can access a printer friendly version of this info here: http://go2l.ink/KCbenefits