Kangaroo Mother Care: the role of health care services and family networks in a successful program

Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) provides many benefits to low birth-weight babies. The family's early and active participation in the care of these infants helps create and strengthen bonding. This study was intended to increase the knowledge on the effect of hospital and family conditions on the method's implementation. Fourteen women and seven men taking part in KMC in the Itapecerica da Serra General Hospital (S?o Paulo State) answered in-depth interviews. The respondents' statements are focused on the decision-making process in the method's implementation, which depends not only on the mother's desire and willingness, but also on the support provided by the family network and empathetic health care teams. Although mothers realize the importance of KMC for their infants' recovery, personal and family problems may prevent them from taking active part in the program. Interaction of such factors as history of perinatal death, presence of other children in the household, involvement of the father and other family members, and household management can establish patterns that may or may not be favorable when choosing and implementing KMC.