The effect of Kangaroo care on vital signs in infants undergoing cardiac surgery: A randomized controlled study

Background and purpose This study aimed to determine the effect of kangaroo care on vital signs in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Design and methods This randomized controlled study was conducted in the pediatrics cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit of a training research hospital between December 2023 and March 2024. The sample consisted of 60 infants who had undergone cardiac surgery, with 30 assigned to the experimental group and 30 to the control group. The experimental group received kangaroo care during the procedure. Data was collected via the Descriptive Information Form about sample characteristics and the Vital Signs and Pain Recording Form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent sample t -tests, ANOVA, and mixed effect model variance analysis. The study was recorded in the Clinicaltrials.gov PRS system. Results The mixed-method comparison showed a high level of significance in the intervention group regarding heart rate and respiratory rate reductions, pain score reduction, and increased peripheral saturation levels in both time and group measurements ( p < 0.001). Additionally, the decrease in systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was significant in the group measurements (p < 0.001), whereas time-based comparisons showed no significant changes in diastolic blood pressure ( p > 0.05). Comparison of changes in pre-test and post-test vital signs between the intervention and control groups were significant, except for diastolic blood pressure ( p < 0.05). Conclusions The study demonstrated that post-surgical kangaroo care in infants undergoing cardiac surgery reduced heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, and respiratory rate, while increasing peripheral saturation levels and decreasing pain scores. Implications for practice The integration of kangaroo care into post-cardiac surgery care practices may lead to improvements in infants' vital signs and promote relaxation through mother-infant skin-to-skin contact. This, in turn, could potentially enhance family-centered care practices in cardiac surgery units, and, in the future, improve the quality of care outcomes for both mothers and infants.