ABSTRACT
Purpose
To reveal the effect of intermittent kangaroo care on maternal attachment, postpartum depression of mothers with preterm infants.
Methods
The study was conducted as a single centre randomised controlled study with sixty mothers whose newborns were hospitalised in the NICU due to prematurity. The data were collected by the questionnaire form, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI). ‘Intermittent kangaroo care’ was applied for 30 minutes once a day for 10 days to the experimental group. Women were completed the EPDS and the MAI in postpartum 30–40th days.
Results
The median of the total score of EPDS in the experimental group was 7, and in the control group was 9 (p > 0.05). The median of the total score of MAI in the experimental group was 99, and in the control group was 97 (p <0.05) and it was determined that the effect size of the difference between the groups was medium (1-β: 0.65, Cohen’s d: 0.532).
Conclusion
It was determined that mothers who received intermittent kangaroo care had higher scores that can be interpreted as higher maternal attachment than others and the postpartum depression scores did not differ between experimental and control group.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Statement of financial support
The authors have not received any specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Originality
This work is original, not previously published, and not submitted for publication or consideration elsewhere.
Author contributions
BH and ŞYS conceptualized and designed the study, completed data analysis, drafted the original manuscript, and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript.
Category of study
Clinical.
Data availability statement
Deidentified participant data are available on reasonable request, contacting to [email protected].
Ethical approval
Baskent University Ethics Commission (15/02/2017-17/10).