Embracing warmth: Perception on Kangaroo Mother Care Feasibility in NICU

Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a widely recognized method for caring for preterm and low birth weight infants, involving skin-to-skin contact between the mother and child. This technique offers significant benefits, such as improved thermal regulation, enhanced breastfeeding, and stronger mother-infant bonding. Despite its proven effectiveness, the implementation of KMC in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) faces several challenges, including infrastructural limitations, insufficient training, and inconsistent institutional support. This study aims to explore the perceptions, barriers, and feasibility of KMC implementation in NICU settings, providing insights to enhance the integration of this life-saving practice in tertiary care hospitals. Title: “A Study to Explore the Perception Regarding the Feasibility of Implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care in NICU at a Selected Tertiary Care Hospital” Objective: To explore the perception regarding the feasibility of implementation of kangaroo mother care in NICU Staff nurses. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the researcher adopted a phenomenological qualitative research design with 8 samples using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. The tools include Socio-Demographic Data for NICU Staff nurses, and a semi-structured interview schedule. Results: The study reveals five key themes: Understanding of KMC and its Benefits, where staff recognize KMC’s value for preterm infants, with subthemes of General Knowledge, Perceived Benefits, and Emotional Well-being. Challenges in Implementing KMC highlight barriers like Infrastructure Limitations, Workload, and Staffing Issues. Training and Knowledge Gaps focus on Inconsistent Training and Gaps in Knowledge affecting confidence. Emotional Support and Motivation shows positive attitudes despite barriers, with subthemes of Emotional Benefits for NICU Staff nurses, Practical Barriers, and Emotional Support Needs. Institutional Support and Policy Implementation emphasizes Guideline Availability, Enforcement Challenges, and Policy Improvement. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study highlights the recognized benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for preterm infants but identifies key challenges in its implementation, including inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent training, and limited institutional support. Addressing these barriers through better resources, training, and policy enforcement will be crucial for successfully integrating KMC into routine neonatal care practices.