KANGAROO METHOD AND KANGAROO CARE

The kangaroo-mother method was initiated by colombian pediatricians in 1979. This method is based on a permanent skin to skin contact of low birth weight infants with their mother. !I has spread out in many dev eloping countries as an alternative cheap method for the care of low b irth weight infants,vith several advantages: temperature regulation, p rolonged breast-feeding, promotion of mother-infant interaction decrea sed mortality. The kangaroo method has been adapted in European countr ies as kangaroo care that consists in daily mother-infant skin to skin contact during few hours. introducing the incubator in the mother's r oom is an other derivative of the method which allo,vs prolonged early contact of the mother with her infant. A major interest of these meth ods is that the favour parent-infant interaction; however this require s qualified and devoted staffs.