Developmental aspects of kangaroo care.
Kangaroo care (skin-to-skin holding) is an intervention that meets development care criteria by fostering neurobehavioral development. The five dimensions of neurobehavioral development are autonomic, motor, state, attention/interaction, and self-regulation. Kangaroo care promotes stability of heart and respiratory function, minimizes purposeless movements, improves behavioral state profiles, offers maternal proximity for attention/interaction episodes, and permits self-regulatory behavior expression. Kangaroo care satisfies in part the handling, self-consoling/soothing, nonnutritive sucking, and parenting interventions recommended by the National Association of Neonatal Nurses' Infant and Family Centered Developmental Care Guidelines.
Ludington-Hoe
S M
SM
University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Nursing 21201, USA.
Swinth
J Y
JY
D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology