The long-term benefits of the kangaroo mom method

The method of mommy kangaroo It is a parenting style that has been proven effective in preventing problems during the first months of a baby's life. However, even in adulthood positive effects have been found in this regard. This is stated by Nathalie Charpak, doctor at the Kangaroo Foundation in Bogotá.

"The effects of the mother are still present 20 years later in the most fragile babies (...) At age 20, the young participants who received the method of kangaroo mom, they had less aggressive behaviors and were less impulsive and hyperactive, "explains Charpak.

Effective method

Charpak defines the kangaroo mom's method as "gentle and effective, which avoids the agitation that premature babies experience". The Two decades of work that has been analyzing these effects indicate that the incorporation of this system can make it become an alternative.


Charpak's team discovered that premature babies randomly selected to receive this treatment had a 39% more likely to live to adulthood. Their dropout rate was lower and they achieved better academic results than the rest.

"Our long-term findings should support the decision to introduce the attention of the kangaroo mother to reduce the medical and psychological disorders attributable to premature births, "they indicate in a press release.

Method of the kangaroo mom

But what is the kangaroo mom's method? From the World Health Organization, WHO, define it as care for premature children by keeping them in skin-to-skin contact with their mother. It is an effective and easy-to-apply system that promotes the health and well-being of both preterm and full-term infants. Its main features are:


- Early, continuous and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby

- Exclusive breastfeeding (in the ideal case).

- They start in the hospital and continue at home.

- Friendly and effective method that avoids the hustle that prevails as a general rule in a pediatric ward occupied by premature babies.

Damián Montero

Video: Benefits of kangaroo care for you & your baby


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