El masaje al bebé canguro, una intervención que mejora la autoeficacia materna percibida

Introduction: The Kangaroo Baby Massage (KBM) is a technique designed for preterm and low birth weight newborns that eliminates the need for an incubator, providing a practical and beneficial option for mothers at home. Objective: To test the effect of the KBM on perceived maternal self-efficacy favoring the mother-infant interaction at home. Materials and methods: A pragmatic, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted in three phases: 1) KBM integration with Kathryn Barnard’s theory, 2) study design, and 3) implementation and outcome evaluation. Two groups were defined: The intervention group (KBM) and the control group (which used the kangaroo position without massage), each group consisted of 34 mother-infant pairs. Recruitment took place within an outpatient kangaroo program in Bogota, Colombia. Implementation and follow-up were conducted via teleconsultation, using the KBM video “Diary of My Kangaroo Baby” and simulators. The perceived maternal self-efficacy questionnaire was conducted at three points in time: prior to the study and on the 7th and 14th day after the study. The questionnaire was analyzed with a statistical design of longitudinal data in F1LDF1 factorial experiments. Results: Homogeneous groups were defined based on sociodemographic variables and maternal-perinatal history. Mothers who applied the KBM technique showed higher scores in perceived maternal self-efficacy at both 7 and 14 days compared to the control group mothers [RTE (lower limit; upper limit) - day 7: control = 0.502 (0.437; 0.567) vs. KBM = 0.503 (0.426; 0.581), and day 14: control = 0.564 (0.482; 0.640) vs. KBM = 0.719 (0.650; 0.776)]. Conclusion: The KBM is a nursing intervention that enhances perceived maternal self-efficacy, fostering greater family involvement and strengthening mother-child interaction. Introdução: a massagem no bebê canguru (MBC) é uma técnica para bebês prematuros e de baixo peso que não necessita de incubadora e que dá apoio às mães no domicílio. Objetivo: testar o efeito da MBC na autoeficácia materna percebida para apoiar a interação mãe-bebê em casa. Materiais e método: ensaio clínico randomizado, pragmático, duplo-cego, desenvolvido em três fases: i) integração da MBC e da teoria de Kathryn Barnard, ii) desenho do estudo e iii) execução e resultados. Foram definidos dois grupos: intervenção (MBC) e controle (posição canguru sem massagem), com 34 díades mãe-bebê em cada grupo. O recrutamento foi realizado em um programa canguru amb