The neonatal nurse’s role in kangaroo mother care

Abstract

Worldwide almost 40 per cent of under-five deaths occur in the neonatal period, i.e. within the first 28 days of life.^1,2 According to Lawn and colleagues, the neonatal period has a nearly 30-fold higher average daily mortality rate than the post-neonatal period.¹ Approximately threequarters of neonatal deaths occur within the first week of life, with the most dangerous period being the first 24 hours.^1,2 These facts highlight the importance of the role of the neonatal nurse in providing appropriate care at the time when infants are most vulnerable and families are struggling to make sense of what has happened. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) has been identified as a humanised neonatal intervention that includes the family, while at the same time provides for the needs of especially preterm and/or low birthweight (LBW) infants, i.e. under 2 500 g.³ KMC has been described as “primarily a nursing intervention with medical support”,⁴ which points to the leadership role of the neonatal nurse in the support for KMC in a multidisciplinary team.