Breast and infant temperatures with twins during shared Kangaroo Care.
Kangaroo Care has been shown to keep a singleton preterm infant warm by body heat generated in maternal breasts that is conducted to the infant. No studies have examined whether twins simultaneously receiving Kangaroo Care, called Shared Kangaroo Care, are sufficiently warm and how the breasts respond to twin presence. Two case studies were done to determine the temperatures of twins being simultaneously kangarooed and the temperatures of maternal breasts during Shared Kangaroo Care. Two sets of premature twins were held in Shared Kangaroo Care for 1.5 hours. Infant temperatures were recorded from incubators; breast temperatures were recorded from thermistors. Infant temperatures remained warm and increased during Kangaroo Care, and each breast appeared to respond to the thermal needs of the infant on that breast. Physiological explanations for thermal synchrony exist. These data suggest that twins can be simultaneously held in Kangaroo Care without thermal compromise because each breast responds individually to the infant's thermal needs.
Ludington-Hoe
Susan M
SM
Walters Professor of Pediatric Nursing Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland, OH 46104-4904, USA. susan.ludington@case.edu
Lewis
Tina
T
Morgan
Kathy
K
Cong
Xiaomei
X
Anderson
Laurie
L
Reese
Stacey
S
D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D001940:Breast / Q000502:physiology*; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D011187:Posture; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D014427:Twins / Q000502:physiology*