Mother Kangaroo Method: an investigation about the domestic pratice

This is a descriptive study, within uantitative approach, aiming at acquiring knowledge regarding the domestic practice of Mother Kangaroo Method. Data were collected from a survey for the parents of prematures hospitalized in a University Hospital in São Luís, Maranhão State, from May to August, 2005. According to the findings, 100% of the families received training and guidance in the hospital and only in 53.3% of the cases the mothers were guided. The benefits of the education works developed by the team were confirmed by domestic practice with 93.3% of the mothers performing the kangaroo position correctly, where 86.7% of the babies were slightly dressed, 86.7% of the mothers were breast feeding technically in a correct manner and 86.7% without any other items being used. 46.7% of the mothers stay 5 to 8 hours/day with their babies in this position and 66.7% identified house tasks as the principal obstacle of the practice. Regarding neonatal walk-in unit follow-up 63.3% of the mothers identified the lack of financial recourses to pay for transportation as the main difficulty factor. The data obtained show that the support from the family network and the health team seem to be the best way to guarantee the extension of domestic care.