(Lack)motivation of the pregnant mother to practice the Kangaroo Mother Method

Abstract

This article aims at describing the context of the development of the Mother-Kangaroo Method at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a public hospital, and discussing the reasons why some women/mothers do not seem stimulated to maintain skin contact with their premature babies. The methodology included three steps: reality problematization, literature review, and systematic reflection aiming at solving the identified problem. It was concluded that the perception of the neonatal team as to mother-newly born infant bond needs to be changed, in the sense of understanding that often the mothers’ reaction are different from those expected by the health professionals.