First week kangaroo care in sick very preterm infants

The aim was to investigate whether kangaroo care (KC) with and without naso gastric tube feeding (NG) is tolerated by sick preterm infants during the f irst week of life. Seventeen infants with current or resolving illness rece ived Ih of KC. The study patients were originally recruited for a study on the response of intestinal peptides to feeding during KC. Median gestationa l age was 28 wk and median birthweight 1238 g. During KC, eight infants rec eived NG. During KC, oxygen requirements were unchanged or decreased in 15 infants and increased in 2 infants. Changes in arterial blood gases, transc utaneous pO(2)/pCO(2), heart rate and temperature were minimal. One episode of apnoea occurred. In conclusion, KC was well tolerated, as was NG, durin g KC.