Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a non pharmacologic method used to alleviate neonatal pain from minor medical procedures. This study measured the effects of short duration kangaroo Mother Care on neonatal pain from adhesive tape removal among preterm neonates.
Superiority randomized controlled trial was conducted among 156 preterm neonates. Neonates assigned in intervention group received ten minutes of KMC before adhesive tape removal while neonates in control group remained in the incubators. Neonatal pain was measured using premature infant pain profile. Paired and independent samples t-tests were used to compare the pain of the neonates before and during adhesive tape removal.
Seventy seven (49.4%) of the participants were males. Their average gestational and postnatal age was 33.8(1.8) weeks and 5.1(2.4 to 8) days respectively. The neonates spent 5.08 (2.42 to 8.04) days in health institutions before the time of data collection and 56 (35.9%) of them were critically ill during admission. Neonates assigned in KMC group had significantly lower pain than the control group [Mean difference= -2.5, 95% CI (-3.9, -1.2), P<0.001]. Though, KMC was able to reduce the behavioral responses of pain, its effect on physiologic pain responses was not significant.
Ten minutes of kangaroo mother care can reduce pain from adhesive tape removal among preterm neonates. Yet, further studies needs to be done to determine the feasibility routine KMC utilization for neonatal pain management in low income countries.
Kangaroo mother care, neonatal pain, adhesive tape, preterm neonates, Tikur Anbessa Referral Hospital, Gandhi Memorial Hospital