Predictors and Outcomes of Kangaroo Mother Care: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Pakistan

Predictors for Opting for Kangaroo Mother Care in Pakistan and Infant Development Outcomes Based on a Quasi-Experimental Intervention

This quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) versus Conventional Care (CC) on the growth, developmental milestones, breastfeeding, vaccination, and mortality of low birth weight infants in Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 400 infants were enrolled and followed for one year.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Lahore, Pakistan, to compare the impact of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) versus Conventional Care (CC) on low birth weight infants. A total of 400 infants (200 in each group) born between January 2020 and December 2022 were included in the study, with participants selected based on specific inclusion criteria and informed consent obtained. KMC involved continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant during the hospital stay and continued at home for at least 8 hours daily. The follow-up schedule included appointments at six weeks after birth, monthly visits until six months of age, and quarterly visits until the infants reached one year of age. During these visits, the study collected data on infant growth, developmental milestones, breastfeeding practices, and vaccination status. The study was ethically approved by the research ethics committee, and data collection was conducted during scheduled follow-up visits to the outpatient department.

Inclusion Criteria:

• women who were able to follow the program instructions,
• permanent residents of Lahore and its periphery and willing to be part of program for the one-year time period,
• live newborn babies delivered either vaginally or through caesarean section with birth weight of 1.5 to 2 kg,
• gestational age between 28 to 36 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

• an infant or mother diagnosed with a life-threatening ailment, major disease, or major malformations,
• early-detected major conditions arising from perinatal problems, such as severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, pulmonary hypertension,
• incidence of severe infection measured as nosocomial infections requiring systemic antibiotics or infections, severe respiratory distress, and hypothermia episodes (temperature less than 35C).