Kangaroo Holding Effects on Breast Milk

Early Kangaroo Holding Effects on Breast Milk Composition

Kangaroo holding is a skin-to-skin method of holding a baby. Many research studies have investigated the maternal and infant benefits associated with kangaroo holding. The purpose of this study is to determine if kangaroo holding a baby changes the amount and composition of breast milk pumped before and after the kangaroo holding session.

Hypotheses:

1. There is a significant difference in volume of maternal breast milk pumped after kangaroo holding premature infants as compared to maternal breast milk pumped after non-holding conditions
2. There is a significant difference in the composition of maternal breast milk pumped after kangaroo holding premature infants as compared to maternal breast milk pumped after non-holding condition.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Premature Birth

Detailed Description

This study will address two of the overwhelming challenges in the physiologic care of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment. The first challenge is promoting neonatal growth through providing a careful balance of nutrition to caloric expenditure for premature infants. The second challenge is supporting parents in the intensive, technology driven environment of the NICU to merge physiologic care with parental-infant interaction through touch, communication, and maternal intervention. The vast majority of mothers with premature infants express breast milk for early feedings, however milk production tends to diminish three to four weeks after delivery. The practice of skin-to-skin holding is thought to promote the mother's ability to produce breast milk, but had not been empirically tested. This study will examine the relationship of kangaroo holding on mother's breast milk production and composition.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 20

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Delaware
    • Newark, Delaware, United States, 19718
      • Christiana Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: No older than 2 weeks (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Mothers of preterm infants

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Birth weight </= 2000 grams
• Gestational age 26-34 weeks at birth
• Medically stable at start of study
• < 14 days old at start of study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Infants receiving phototherapy
• Suspected congenital abnormalities
• Overwhelming sepsis
• Cardiac Abnormalities
• Suspected infections

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
1; Mothers who are pumping breast milk and who are willing to kangaroo hold their infant.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Breast milk production and composition	1 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Christiana Care Health Services
• Collaborators: University of Delaware
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Amy N. Johnson, DNSc, RNC, Christiana Care Health Services

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2006

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 2, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 2, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): January 4, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 18, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2008
• Last Verified: January 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Premature birth; Pumping breast milk; Kangaroo holding
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pregnancy Complications; Obstetric Labor Complications; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Premature Birth
• Other Study ID Numbers: 24211