Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care on Duration of Phototherapy on Neonatal Jaundice: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NNH) is a common morbidity in the neonatal period, especially in the preterm and low-birth-weight babies. Low-birth-weight babies receiving phototherapy do not receive kangaroo mother care (KMC), which may hamper their weight gain and establishment of breast-feeding. The authors investigated the effect of KMC on duration of phototherapy in neonates admitted to a level III nursery with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Fifty neonates with gestational age of 30 to 40 wk, birth weight 1001-1999 g, and requiring phototherapy were randomized. Control group received phototherapy in a conventional manner. The intervention group received KMC for 1 h every 8 hourly. The mean (+/- SD) of total duration of phototherapy required in control group and in KMC group was 39.12 +/- 15.3 and 19.44 +/- 6.54 h, respectively and this difference was statistically significant.

Automated summary

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common condition in the neonatal period, especially among preterm and low-birth-weight babies. This study found that kangaroo mother care (KMC) significantly reduced the duration of phototherapy required for neonates with hyperbilirubinemia compared to conventional phototherapy.