| dc.description.abstract | Background Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is one of the many methods that
can promote health and growth in Low birth weight (LBW) infants.
Objective To evaluate the effect of KMC on post natal growth in LBW infants. Methods A cohort prospective study was conducted in Haji Adam Malik General Hospital dan Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, starting August 2015 until September 2015. There were 40 LBW infants enrolled in the study, divided into 2 groups : KMC group (infants receiving KMC minimal 1 hour per day) and conventional group (parents refused or could not give KMC on any condition). lnfants in need of ventilation support (continuous positive airway pressure-CPAP and ventilator) and with major congenital anomalies was excluded from the study. Post natal growth was determined by weight gain (grams per day), length gain (cm per week), and head circumference gain (cm per week). Data such as length of stay was also collected. Results Mean weight gain and length gain was higher in KMC group (9.7 gram per day and 0.3 cm per week) than conventional group (4.9 gram per day and 0.07 cm per week) (P < 0.05). There was no significant differences in head-circumference gain. KMC group was associated with shorter length of hospital stay than conventional group (13.5 day and 23.5 day, respectively). Conclusion Kangaroo mother care resulted in better weight gain, better length gain, and shorter length of stay in LBW infants. | en_US |
