Intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care Intermittent KMC is practiced

Intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care

Intermittent KMC is practiced with infants: Where incubators or warm rooms are available Who are not yet clinically stable Who are receiving oxygen therapy In situations where there is no space for rooming-in – the majority case for African settings Intermittent KMC can take place throughout the day The time period can vary from minutes to hours at a time Practicing intermittent KMC after feeding is a missed opportunity The duration of intermittent KMC depends on the condition of the infant and the availability of the mother It encourages the mother to take part in care of her infant No special equipment is required – just willing mothers and staff to act as counsellors PEP unit 43 Principles of KMC

Institutional arrangement of KMC Continuous KMC is not the only option. The range of possible KMC applications is co-determined by the availability and type of lodging facilities for mothers.

The benefits of KMC also apply to intermittent KMC Improved cardiac and respiratory stability Improved gastrointestinal function Higher initiation & duration of breastfeeding Protection against infections Effective thermal control Infants are less stressed The mother’s confidence in caring for her infant is boosted Improved bonding between mother and infant due to the physical closeness between them Mothers are empowered to play an active role in their infants care Mothers are enabled to become the primary care giver of their infants

The KMC chains of care Antenatal care Mothers and families must be prepared for possible premature birth Hospitalbased care Hospital-based care Antenatal care Homebased care KMC follow-up Homebased care

Documenting intermittent KMC Intermittent KMC Chart Date: Age in days Weight: : 06 h 00 07 h 00 08 h 00 09 h 00 10 h 00 11 h 00 12 h 00 13 h 00 14 h 00 15 h 00 16 h 00 17 h 00 18 h 00 19 h 00 20 h 00 21 h 00 22 h 00 23 h 00 Total KMC time/da y Name: Reg No: