Kangaroo mother care practices for low birthweight newborns in a district hospital in Indonesia

PURPOSE: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) was introduced in Indonesia 30 years ago, but the extent of its use has not been fully documented. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the use of KMC and evaluate the characteristics of infants who received KMC at Koja District Hospital in North Jakarta, Indonesia. This retrospective cohort study recorded the characteristics of infants with birthweights less than or equal to 2,200 g at the above-mentioned hospital. METHODS: Data collected from infant registers included gestational age, birthweight, Apgar score, number of complications, history of neonatal intensive care unit treatment, and KMC status. Cox regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: This study found that 57.7% of infants received KMC. Infants with birthweights over 1,500 g were 2.16 times (95% CI: 1.20-3.89) more likely to receive KMC. CONCLUSION: Efforts to promote KMC are recommended, specifically for infants with birthweights greater than 1,500 g. KMC for infants with other conditions can also be considered based on the infants' stability.