New parents mean lots of new thing to learn and know. Have you ever hear about Kangaroo Care? It really sounds funny but it doesn’t mean to take care of Kangaroo. So, what actually is it? Let’s discuss about it and its benefits in the following article.
What is Kangaroo Care?
Kangaroo Care is a method of holding your baby which involves direct skin to skin contact. In this, baby is naked except for a diaper and a piece of cloth to cover his/her back. The baby is placed in upright position against a parent’s bare chest.
This snuggling with infant like a kangaroo pouch is termed as “Kangaroo Care”.
Why is Kangaroo Care Important?
Many studies have found that skin-to-skin contact between parent and the baby makes him/ her healthier in number of ways:-
Kangaroo care regulates your infant’s body temperature.
It helps to stabilize the heart and respiratory rate of baby.
Improves the bond between parent and the baby.
It also helps to improve the oxygen saturation rate of baby.
It conserves the baby’s calories in a better manner helping him gain weight.
Reasons to give Kangaroo Care to your Kids
1. It’s beneficial for both Mother & Child:-
Kangaroo care provides benefits to the babies as well as mothers. It gives warmthof love and a sense of belonging to the child. Moreover, holding the baby close to you will calm baby down and will also ensure that he is happy and satisfied.
2. Reduces stress and help baby to sleep better:-
If your baby does not take proper sleep and wakes up after short nap, kangaroo care is something that you should definitely try.
Hold your baby close to your bare chest; you will watch your baby sleep sooner. It alsodrops the stress levels in both mother and the child. Kangaroo care also help child to feel better.
3. Stabilizes your baby’s temperature:-
Newborn baby are not able to stabilizing their temperature so Kangaroo Care help to give your baby the same kind of warmth as in your womb. So, skin to skin contact helps to keep baby warm and helps him to stabilize its temperature.
4. Improves breastfeeding:-
Skin to skin contact can help the baby feel closer to the mother making him satisfied and happy. Kangaroo baby is happy baby and also feeds better. When newborn is close to the chest, he will adapt better and latch properly to the breast.
5. Helps in Weight Gain:-
Babies who are given kangaroo care are warm and happy. When practicing Kangaroo Care, mothers produce more milk and the babies feed more.
When kept close, the babies don’t burn extra calories stabilizing their body temperature. Also, instead of warming their bodies they use this energy it to grow and get healthier.
6. Improves Immunity:-
Kangaroo Care is very important for premature babies. As you know that, premature babies have weak and underdeveloped immunity.
Skin to skin contact with the mother can improve the baby’s immunity and make him healthier.
7. Help Mothers to Lactate Better:-
Skin to skin contact help to regulate and improves the hormones that promote lactation. Holding the baby close to the bare chest can make the milk supply better, helping the baby feed for a longer period of time.
So, giving kangaroo care isn’t an option only for mothers Fathers can give Kangaroo care to their babies and help them calm down the same way as a mother does. Fathers that give Kangaroo care to the child form a strong bond with the baby. Moreover, baby identifies his father’s loving touch and slowly recognizes his smell and heartbeats better.
These are the reasons why Kangaroo Care plays an important role for your baby and you. So, enjoy its benefits and happy parenting. Please share your comments on the article below. Have a great day.
Welcome to BabyandAyurveda.com – India Parenting Blog. We are here to help all the parents to raise healthier & happier babies and enjoy every chunk & bit of this beautiful phase called “Parenthood” blessed by Almighty.
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