Clinical Impact of Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation on Neonatal Outcomes in District Swat
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-4/047Keywords:
Pediatric Healthcare, Gender-specific Outcomes, Admissions and Discharges, Follow-up Visits, Mortality TrendsAbstract
Background: This study examines the healthcare outcomes, including admissions, improved discharges, deaths, and follow-up visits, for boys and girls in a pediatric healthcare setting from January 2021 to December 2023. The objective is to understand gender-specific trends and patterns in healthcare performance, focusing on both clinical outcomes and follow-up care.
Methods: A retrospective data analysis was performed on monthly healthcare records collected from participating hospitals. The data was categorized by gender and included variables such as admissions, discharges, deaths, and follow-up visits. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied to assess trends over time, compare gender-specific outcomes, and control for potential confounding variables such as socio-economic status.
Results: The results indicated significant variations in the number of admissions, improved discharges, and deaths for boys and girls over the three years. The number of admissions fluctuated monthly, with an overall higher number of admissions for boys. Similarly, while both genders showed positive recovery trends with high discharge rates, deaths were more frequently observed in girls. Follow-up visits were also higher for boys, reflecting more engagement with post-discharge care.
Conclusion:This analysis provides insights into the pediatric healthcare outcomes for boys and girls, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions based on gender. Despite the overall positive recovery trends, the study highlights areas where additional support and focused care could improve outcomes, particularly for girls in terms of mortality and follow-up care.
References
1. World Health Organization. Kangaroo mother care: a practical guide. Geneva: WHO; 2003.
2. World Health Organization. WHO recommendations for care of the preterm or low-birth-weight infant. Geneva: WHO; 2012.
3. Wang Y, Zhao T, Zhang Y, Li S, Cong X. Positive Effects of Kangaroo Mother Care on Long-Term Breastfeeding Rates, Growth, and Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2021 Feb 2;16(4).
4. WHO Immediate KMC Study Group. Immediate “Kangaroo Mother Care” and Survival of Infants with Low Birth Weight. New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2021 May 27;384(21):2028–38. Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2026486
5. Conde-Agudelo A, Belizán JM, Diaz-Rossello J. Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(8):CD002771. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002771.pub4.
6. Boundy EO, Dastjerdi R, Spiegelman D, Fawzi WW, Missmer SA, Lieberman E, et al. Kangaroo Mother Care and neonatal outcomes: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2016;137(1):e20152238. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-2238.
7. Moore ER, Bergman N, Anderson GC, Medley N. Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(11):CD003519. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003519.pub4.
8. Chi Luong K, Nguyen TL, Huynh TDH, Carrara HPO, Bergman NJ. Newly born low birthweight infants stabilise better in skin-to-skin contact than when separated from their mothers: a randomised controlled trial. Acta Paediatr. 2016;105(4):381–90. doi:10.1111/apa.13164.
9. Sivanandan S, Sankar MJ. Kangaroo mother care for preterm or low birth weight infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health [Internet]. 2023 Jun 1;8(6):e010728. Available from: https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/6/e010728
10. Narciso LM, Beleza LO, Imoto AM. The effectiveness of kangaroo mother care in hospitalization period of preterm and low birth weight infants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Jornal de Pediatria. 2021 Jul;98(2):117–25.
11. Cai Q, Chen DQ, Wang H, Zhang Y, Yang R, Xu WL, et al. What influences the implementation of kangaroo mother care? An umbrella review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2022 Nov 18;22(1).
12. Montealegre-Pomar A, Bohorquez A, Charpak N. Kangaroo position protects against apnoea of prematurity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatr. 2020;109(7):1310–6. doi:10.1111/apa.15161.
13. Hardin JS, Jones NA, Mize KD, Platt M. Parent-Training with Kangaroo Care Impacts Infant Neurophysiological Development & Mother-Infant Neuroendocrine Activity. Infant Behavior and Development. 2020 Feb;58:101416.
14. Sen E, Manav G. Effect of Kangaroo Care and Oral Sucrose on Pain in Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Management Nursing. 2020 Aug;21(6).
15. Linnér A, Lode Kolz K, Klemming S, Bergman N, Lilliesköld S, Markhus Pike H, et al. Immediate Skin‐to‐skin Contact May Have Beneficial Effects on the Cardiorespiratory Stabilisation in Very Preterm Infants. Acta Paediatrica. 2022 Apr 28;111(8).
16. Ndjomo G, Blairy S, Njiengwe E, Geurten M. Neurodevelopment and Associated Factors in Preterm Infants Who Received Kangaroo Mother Care: A 12‐Month Follow‐Up. Acta Paediatrica. 2025 Mar 19;
17. Sinha B, Sommerfelt H, Ashorn P, Mazumder S, Taneja S, More D, et al. Effect of Community-Initiated Kangaroo Mother Care on Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Stress Among Mothers of Low-Birth-Weight Infants. JAMA Network Open. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):e216040.
18. Charpak N, Montealegre-Pomar A, Bohorquez A. Duration of Kangaroo Mother Care and its impact on neonatal growth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatr. 2021;110(1):45–59. doi:10.1111/apa.15489.
19. Bergman NJ. New policies on skin-to-skin contact warrant an oxytocin-based perspective on perinatal health care. Frontiers in psychology. 2024 Jul 9;15.
20. Vasco-Morales S, Quinde-Arce A, Males-Jácome F, Verdesoto-Jácome C, Almeida-Torres C, Toapanta-Pinta P. Benefits, challenges, and perspectives of kangaroo care in neonatal care: an integrative review. Rev Gestão Soc Ambient. 2024;18(8):e07165. doi:10.24857/rgsa.v18n8-119.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons Attribution License (CC BY) 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Metrics
How to Cite
