Kangaroo Mother Care: Feelings and Perceptions of Mothers in Stage Three

Background: The Kangaroo Mother Care method allows for early hospital discharge and ensures outpatient follow-up care for newborns. This study aim to investigate mothers’ feelings upon returning home and their perceptions of the care delivered by the professionals who conduct the follow-up examination on their newborn at a Kangaroo Mother Care stage three outpatient clinic. Methods and Fidings: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in August 2015 with a sample of eleven mothers who visited the follow-up outpatient clinic of a public maternity hospital. Semi-structured interviews were performed, and the content analysis technique was used. The analysis resulted in the following thematic categories: “Mothers’ feelings upon returning home” and “Mothers’ perceptions of the care received”. Despite feeling relieved upon returning home, the mothers also felt insecure about caring for their children. However, they were satisfied with the care received at the outpatient clinic. Its limitations are relative to the generalisation of its results. Conclusion: Health education is essential to preparing mothers to return home because it promotes confidence and autonomy in the care of children. Keywords: newborn infant; premature infant; Kangaroo Mother Care