Intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care

Intermittent KMC Intermittent KMC is practiced with infants: Where incubators or warm rooms are available Who are not yet clinically stable Who are receiving oxygen therapy In situations where there is no space for rooming-in – the majority case for African settings Intermittent KMC can take place throughout the day The time period can vary from minutes to hours at a time Practicing intermittent KMC after feeding is a missed opportunity The duration of intermittent KMC depends on the condition of the infant and the availability of the mother It encourages the mother to take part in care of her infant No special equipment is required – just willing mothers and staff to act as counsellors PEP unit 43 Principles of KMC

Institutional arrangement of KMC Continuous KMC is not the only option. The range of possible KMC applications is co-determined by the availability and type of lodging facilities for mothers.

The benefits of KMC also apply to intermittent KMC Improved cardiac and respiratory stability Improved gastrointestinal function Higher initiation & duration of breastfeeding Protection against infections Effective thermal control Infants are less stressed The mother’s confidence in caring for her infant is boosted Improved bonding between mother and infant due to the physical closeness between them Mothers are empowered to play an active role in their infants care Mothers are enabled to become the primary care giver of their infants

Mothers and families must be prepared for possible premature birth The KMC chains of care Ante-natal care Hospital-based care Home-based care Mothers and families must be prepared for possible premature birth KMC follow-up Hospital-based care Antenatal care Home-based care

Documenting intermittent KMC Intermittent KMC Chart Name: Reg No: Date: Age in days Weight:: 06h00 07h00 08h00 09h00 10h00 11h00 12h00 13h00 14h00 15h00 16h00 17h00 18h00 19h00 20h00 21h00 22h00 23h00 Total KMC time/day