Evaluation of the implementation of the kangaroo mother program in a university hospital

Abstract

The study evaluated the implementation of the
Mother Kangaroo Program of the Erasmo Meoz
University Hospital in Norte de Santander,
Colombia, during 2021-2022. A retrospective
observational methodology with a descriptive
approach was used, analyzing 1,152 infants with
low birth weight and/or prematurity,

of which 287 were selected for the study. It was
found that most of the infants entered the program
with more than 48 hours of life and remained in it
for more than 12 months, showing high adherence.
The INFANIB neurological battery was applied in
more than 50% of the cases and nutritional
evaluation in 51%, although almost half of them
were not evaluated. Complementary tests were
performed in 85% of the cases, but alkaline
phosphatase and calcium were not applied in all.
Most infants had between 1 and 20 controls during
the study. The conclusion suggests that the
program largely complies with the parameters
established by the Technical Guidelines for Mother
Kangaroo Programs in Colombia, with emphasis
on the nutrition of preterm or low birth weight
infants, updated in November 2017.