• Shohei Ohgi, Masafumi Fukuda, Hiroyuki Moriuchi, Takashi Kusumoto, Tomitaro Akiyama, J Kevin Nugent, T Berry Brazelton, Kokichi Arisawa, Tatsuya Takahashi, and Hiroshi Saitoh.
• Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
• J Perinatol. 2002 Jul 1; 22 (5): 374-9.

ObjectiveTo determine whether Kangaroo Care (KC) for healthy, low-birth-weight (LBW) infants can promote better behavioral and developmental outcomes.Study DesignIn this historical control study, 26 infants in the KC group (GA: 34.3+/-2.5 weeks, BW: 1833.9+/-167.6 g) and 27 infants in the comparison group who received the standard medical-nursing care (34.6+/-2.3 weeks, 1850.9+/-156.7 g) were analyzed by the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) at 40 weeks of postmenstrual age, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Carey's Infant Temperament Questionnaire (ITQ) at 6 and 12 months corrected ages.ResultsKC infants had significantly higher NBAS scores in Orientation, State Regulation, and Supplementary items; lower Intensity scores and higher Mood scores at 6 months on the ITQ; and higher Bayley Scales score at 12 months.ConclusionKC effectively promoted neonatal behavioral organization and enhanced developmental outcome over the first year of life for LBW infants.

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