Método Madre Canguro – Abrazo de Amor (Mother Kangaroo Method – Loving Hug)
Can the hug and affection of a mother or father save a baby’s life? In the case of premature and low birth weight children who have to be put in an incubator until their bodies can regulate their own temperature, the answer is yes. For more than 40 years now, the Madre Canguro program has revolutionized premature babies’ care by having mothers and fathers stay in close physical and emotional contact with the children and use the power of their love and connection to help them overcome that difficult period in their lives. This innovative, scientific, and meticulous program has managed to reduce infant mortality rates and foster children wellbeing. It has been proved that, unlike other methods, it improves babies’ cardiac rhythm, protects their brains, and helps them get a better-quality sleep. Fathers, mothers, and babies in more than 50 countries have participated in this program.
Problematic
Premature and low birth weight babies have fewer chances to make it to their first year. And even if they do, they tend to develop neurological, physical, and behavioral problems, cognitive deficits, low school performance, and attention difficulties. In addition, traditional methods such as incubators can cause emotional problems both to mothers and babies and have a negative impact on their affection bond, the self-confidence of mothers and fathers in their caregiver roles, and on children’s long-term socio-emotional development.
Solution
The Madre Canguro method turns mothers and fathers into natural incubators, giving them back their main roles in their babies’ physical and emotional recovery process. It is based on three pillars: continuous skin contact between the babies and their mothers or any other member of the family (kangaroo position), exclusive breastfeeding whenever possible, and close monitoring during the first year of life. The method has two stages: kangaroo care from 0 to 40 weeks, and high-risk monitoring between week 40 and 12 months of age. In the first stage, the kangaroo position and breast milk-based nutrition promote brain development. Additionally, parents receive support through workshops and training on infancy health issues. The second stage focuses on ambulatory care, which includes growth and development monitoring to ensure early detection of any possible neurological, hearing, visual, or other types of problems.
Evaluation and Impact
Research has shown that one year after birth, babies subject to the Madre Canguro method have higher IQs and better survival probabilities than babies treated with conventional methods. Furthermore, this approach reduces the number of hospitalization days and boosts the weight of the babies, who also cry less and have lower stress levels. It has been proved that over the long term, until the children turn 20, the method can help protect the brain and help the youth increase their school-attendance rates and be less aggressive and hyperactive. Also, families who opted for the Madre Canguro method engage in more stimulation activities with their children.