Role of Kangro Mother Care in Preterm Neonates Delivered in Kangro Mother Care Ward: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Role of Kangro Mother Care in Preterm Neonates

Abstract

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is effective, but it is not commonly used due to a lack of defined protocols and awareness of its benefits, especially in underdeveloped nations like Pakistan. Objective: To compare the mean weight gain due to KMC with routine neonatal care for preterm neonates. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Settings: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Services Hospital, Lahore Pakistan. Duration: Three months from December 20, 2025 to March 20, 2026. Methods: 75 preterm neonates (150 total) were transferred to the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Services Hospital, Lahore, and offered KMC or routine neonatal care for weight growth evaluation at follow-up visits. Then, all newborns were monitored. Weight was collected every 10 days, 6 weeks, and 3 months. An independent-samples t-test was used to compare the study group means; p-values <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: The statistically significant weight differences were observed between KMC and routine neonatal care groups at 10 days (1.95±0.20 vs 1.81±0.28, p = 0.001), 6 weeks (2.31±0.25 vs 1.75±0.28, p <0.001), and 3 months (2.93±0.38 vs 1.94±0.56, p <0.001). The mean weight gain from baseline to 6 weeks was 0.94±0.35 versus -0.009±0.50, p<0.001. Post-stratification by mother age and neonate gender shows no difference between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: KMC enabled preterm neonates to gain weight better than routine neonatal care. KMC was also more effective than routine neonatal care in increasing mean weight over 6 weeks, by gender. The current finding is from a quasi-experimental single-center investigation. To generalize and validate findings, multicenter and controlled trials are encouraged.