Effects of kangaroo mother care restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on feeding and physiological parameters in preterm neonates: a cohort study.

Objective: This research investigates the impact of kangaroo mother care restrictions on feeding and physiological parameters in preterm newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective cohort design was used, including 169 preterm neonates born at 30-34 weeks of gestation, recruited from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Denizli, Turkiye. The study compared a kangaroo mother care group (n=78) and a kangaroo mother care-restricted group (n=91). Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and t-test.

Results: The average duration until the initiation of full oral feeding was shorter in the kangaroo mother care group (mean difference=4.58, 95%CI 0.61-8.43, p=0.020). Newborns in the kangaroo mother care-restricted group had a higher likelihood of reverting to gavage feeding (OR 6.59, 95%CI 2.98-14.58, p=0.000), and higher withdrawal rates (OR 3.36, 95%CI 1.59-7.09, p=0.001). Newborns in the kangaroo mother care group experienced significantly lower rates of apnea attacks (OR 3.29, 95%CI 1.52-7.09, p=0.002), tachycardia (OR 4.43, 95%CI 1.54-12.76, p=0.004), and desaturation (OR 3.43, 95%CI 1.70-6.93, p=0.000).

Conclusion: This study highlights the positive effects of kangaroo mother care on preterm newborns' feeding and physiological parameters. It is recommended that kangaroo mother care be consistently provided to all newborns, even during exceptional circumstances such as pandemics.