How Following the Lead of a Kangaroo Can Save Lives

Want Your Baby to Thrive? Act Like a Kangaroo! Watch the INCREDIBLE video above about the power of human touch! A mother was able to revive her baby who was pronounced dead by giving him a hug! The strategy is called “Kangaroo Care” and is gaining momentum everywhere.

Clevelandclinic.org reports:
“Kangaroo care came about as a response to the high death rate in preterm babies seen in Bogota, Columbia, in the late 1970s. There, the death rate for premature infants was 70 percent. The babies were dying of infections, respiratory problems, and simply due to lack of attention. Researchers found that babies who were held close to their mothers’ bodies for large portions of the day, not only survived, but thrived. In the United States, hospitals that encourage kangaroo care typically have their mothers or fathers provide skin-to-skin contact with their preterm babies for several hours each day.
What are the benefits of kangaroo care?

The benefits of kangaroo care to the baby include:

* Stabilization of the baby’s heart rate
* Improved (more regular) breathing pattern
* Improved oxygen saturation levels (an indicator of how well oxygen is being delivered to all the infants organs and tissues)
* Gain in sleep time
* More rapid weight gain
* Decreased crying
* More successful breastfeeding episodes
* Earlier hospital discharge

The benefits of kangaroo care to the parents include:

* Improved bonding, feelings of closeness with their babies
* Increased breast milk supply
* Increased confidence in ability to care for their babies
* Increased confidence that their babies are well cared for
* Increased sense of control”