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Comparison of Kangaroo Care and Standard Care: Behavioral Organization, Development, and Temperament in Healthy, Low-Birth-Weight Infants Through 1 Year

Journal of Perinatology volume 22, pages 374–379 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Kangaroo Care (KC) for healthy, low-birth-weight (LBW) infants can promote better behavioral and developmental outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN: In this historical control study, 26 infants in the KC group (GA: 34.3±2.5 weeks, BW: 1833.9±167.6 g) and 27 infants in the comparison group who received the standard medical–nursing care (34.6±2.3 weeks, 1850.9±156.7 g) were analyzed by the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) at 40 weeks of postmenstrual age, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Carey's Infant Temperament Questionnaire (ITQ) at 6 and 12 months corrected ages.

RESULTS: KC infants had significantly higher NBAS scores in Orientation, State Regulation, and Supplementary items; lower Intensity scores and higher Mood scores at 6 months on the ITQ; and higher Bayley Scales score at 12 months.

CONCLUSION: KC effectively promoted neonatal behavioral organization and enhanced developmental outcome over the first year of life for LBW infants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan

    Shohei Ohgi RPT, MSc, Kokichi Arisawa MD, Tatsuya Takahashi MD & Hiroshi Saitoh MD

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan

    Masafumi Fukuda MD, Hiroyuki Moriuchi MD & Takashi Kusumoto MD

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Nagasaki University School of Health Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    Tomitaro Akiyama MD

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    J Kevin Nugent PhD & T Berry Brazelton MD

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  1. Shohei Ohgi RPT, MSc
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  2. Masafumi Fukuda MD
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  3. Hiroyuki Moriuchi MD
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Ohgi, S., Fukuda, M., Moriuchi, H. et al. Comparison of Kangaroo Care and Standard Care: Behavioral Organization, Development, and Temperament in Healthy, Low-Birth-Weight Infants Through 1 Year. J Perinatol 22, 374–379 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210749

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