Impact of Kangaroo Mother Care on Skin Microbiome of Very Preterm Infants - A Pilot Study

ObjectivesTo test whether Kangaroo mother care (KMC) aids in transfer of favourable skin microbiome from mother to infant by comparing the microbiome composition before and after KMC.MethodsA prospective cohort pilot study was conducted in a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in South India, recruiting 30 preterm infants with gestation i.e., axilla, chest and abdomen was swabbed at the end of first week of life, prior to initiation of KMC. The 2nd swab involving the same areas was taken following KMC for 7 d for at least 6 h a day. The swabs were analysed using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) - 16sRNA and abundance of organisms isolated were mapped. Statistical analyses using t-test and PERMANOVA were performed to compare phyla and genera of bacterial abundance pre-KMC and post-KMC.ResultsKMC at phyla level increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes (p=0.52) and significantly decreased Proteobacteria (p=0.02). At species level, KMC decreased pathogenic bacterial count of Escherichia (p=0.05), while counts of S. hemolyticus (p=0.01) and S. hominis (p=.002) significantly increased post KMC.ConclusionsKMC has a potential role in altering the neonatal skin microbiota towards a more favourable microenvironment. The clinical significance of these novel findings needs to be validated with larger studies.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate whether Kangaroo mother care (KMC) helps in transferring favorable skin microbiome from mother to preterm infants. A prospective cohort pilot study was conducted in a NICU in South India, recruiting 30 preterm infants. The microbiome composition of the infants' axilla, chest, and abdomen were analyzed before and after KMC, using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) - 16sRNA. The results showed that KMC altered the neonatal skin microbiota towards a more favorable microenvironment.