INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL FACTORS ON GROWTH PARAMETERS IN LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT BABIES WITH KANGAROO MOTHER CARE

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) in low birth weight newborns has been found to be beneficial, but studies have shown that maternal factors might be of concern in the successful application of KMC. Aim: To study the influence of maternal factors on growth parameters in low-birth-weight babies with KMC. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 40 low birth weight newborns in our institutions. We randomly assigned the newborns to the group which received KMC and to the group which received conventional care. Maternal factors were recorded. We measured weight, length, and head circumferences of newborns daily for thirty days. Data was processed by SPSS x22.0. Results: A total of 40 newborns were recruited into the study. Weight parameters were significantly higher in the KMC group than in the conventional group except for the Z scores. Regarding maternal characteristics, only gestational age was found to influence the initial and the last head circumference (p=0.035). There were no differences in maternal age, parity, maternal education, mode of delivery, fetal sex, and initial Apgar score with any of the growth parameters. Conclusion: There were no maternal and fetal differences in the growth parameters of the groups, except in the delayed growth of head circumferences in preterm infants.