Effect of kangaroo mother care on neurodevelopmental outcome of low birth weight babies: a one-year randomized control trial

Abstract

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the risk factor for neurodevelopmental delay. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in the neurodevelopmental outcome of low birth weight babies. Methods: The present study was undertaken at Department of Paediatrics, Jawarharlal Medical college, Belgaum during the period from January 2009 to October 2010. The study includes 80 stable LBW babies were randomized into 40 in the KMC group and 40 in convention method of care group. 36 babies in the KMC group and 33 babies in the CMC group completed the study. The Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by the Amiel Tison test at three, six, nine and twelfth months of age. This was compared with BSID test, at one year.Results: The neurosensory examination and passive muscle tone (PMT) were found to be abnormal. Majority of the babies in both groups has a normal neurosensory and PMT development at one year. Statistically significant to muscle tone deficit was observed in the CMC babies at six months and nine months (p = 0.005 and p = 0.013). With respect to BSID, 16 and 29 KMC babies had a normal Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Motor Development Index (MDI) scores when compared to 8 and 18 CMC babies (p = 0.003 and p = 0.057 respectively). Number of babies with significant delay was observed to be higher in the CMC group being 11 versus 1 for PDI scores and 4 versus 1 for MDI scores.Conclusions: The present study shows that KMC has a beneficial effect on the neurodevelopmental outcome of low birth weight babies and BSID II is a better test to detect the psychomotor and mental developmental delay when compared to the Amiel Tison test.