title: Kangaroo Mother Care in Kangaroo ward for improving the growth and breastfeeding outcomes when reaching term gestational age in very low birth weight infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of Kangaroo mother care in the Kangaroo ward in comparison with conventional care at neonatal unit on growth and breastfeeding in very low birth weight infants at 40 weeks' corrected gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty neonates with birth weight <1500 g were randomized. The primary outcome was the average weight gain (g/kg/day) from the time of randomization to term gestational age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean birth weight, age in days and weight at randomization were similar in both the groups. At term gestational age, average weight gain (g/kg/day) post randomization (23.3 ± 8.7 g vs. 22.64 ± 9.1 g, p = 0.67) and breastfeeding rate (85.9% vs. 87.0%) were comparable. There was no difference in weight gain (g/kg/day) from randomization to hospital discharge between the Kangaroo care group and conventional care group (18.01 g vs. 15.64 g, p = 0.12). Mortality, morbidities like sepsis, hypothermia, apnoea, hypoglycaemia and duration of hospitalization were equally distributed. On average, 11.5 days of intermediate care were saved in the kangaroo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kangaroo mother care in the Kangaroo ward is as effective as conventional care in the neonatal unit without any increase in morbidity or mortality in stable VLBW infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Fernandez Hospital, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghavane
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murki
authors.forename: Sreeram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaddam
authors.forename: Hemasree
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kandraju
authors.forename: Sridevi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thumalla
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D060127:Kangaroo-Mother Care Method / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009725:Nurseries, Hospital; D016896:Treatment Outcome