Content area
Full text
Louis, K., & White, A. (2023). Impact of kangaroo care on caregivers in the NICU: An integrative review. Pediatric Nursing, 49(4), 185-194, 200.
Having an infant hospitalized is a highly stressful experience for caregivers, leading to psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, dysfunctional family functioning, and personal medical issues. Kangaroo care is one intervention available to help mitigate the psychological impact of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays on caregivers. The review explored the literature for the impact kangaroo care has on caregivers' psychological health with newborns in the NICU. Databases CINAHL, OVID, and MEDLINE were examined to yield 23 articles for review. Inclusion criteria encompassed primary research on the effects of kangaroo care on caregiver psychological stress, studies published between 2005-2020, and written in English. Four major themes emerged: impact on self-esteem, impact on mental status and mood, decrease in salivary cortisol, and enhanced bonding. The closeness and intimacy experienced in kangaroo care positively impacted the caregiver's confidence, self-esteem, and bonding, which resulted in increased caregiver initiative to participate in the infant's care. Nurses play a critical role in finding ways to support caregivers in their time of need through interventions that can decrease the stress and adverse psychological effects of caregivers when their infant is in the NICU.
Keywords: Kangaroo care, NICU caregiver, psychological stress, parent psychological factors, neonatal nursing, premature infant.
Prematurity is associated with roughly one-third of all infant deaths in the United States, with infants born at or before 25 weeks only having a 50% chance of survival (Hamilton et al., 2021). If they survive, their deficits are immense, and they are often severely impaired (Murphy et al., 2018). Kangaroo care decreases mortality and promotes vital sign stabilization in premature infants (Arzani et al., 2012; Boundy et al., 2016; Cho et al., 2016; Dehghani et al., 2015; Jefferies & Canadian Paediatric Society, Fetus and Newborn Committee, 2012). Kangaroo care is skin-to-skin contact between a caregiver and their newborn (Chan et al., 2016).
Caregivers of a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have reported immense stress related to their experience (Fowler et al., 2019; Hunt et al., 2018; Lebel & Charette, 2021). Studies indicate that kangaroo care helps mitigate the NICU's psychological impact on caregivers (Cho et al.,...