Premium
Kangaroo mother care alters chromogranin A and perfusion index in preterm babies
Author(s) -
Endo Tomohiro,
Sampei Mari,
Fukuda Seiji
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.14350
Subject(s) - medicine , saliva , breast milk , chromogranin a , perfusion , bronchopulmonary dysplasia , gastroenterology , pregnancy , gestational age , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry , chemistry , biology , genetics
Background While providing various benefits, concerns about the potential risks of kangaroo mother care, or skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC), between mother and her preterm infant hinder its widespread implementation in some resource‐ rich countries. In neonates, salivary chromogranin A (s‐CgA) is elevated upon exposure to stress, whereas the perfusion index (PI) is associated with hemodynamics and peripheral perfusion. Here, we investigated the effects of SSC on s‐CgA and the PI in preterm infants. Methods Twelve infants were enrolled in the study. Factors associated with baseline s‐CgA were analyzed. Baseline s‐CgA and the level after SSC were compared. Secreted IgA in the saliva was compared as the control. The PI before, throughout, and after SSC were compared. Results Baseline s‐CgA was significantly lower in infants who were supplemented with baby formula milk in addition to breast milk before SSC (n = 2) compared with those fed with their mother's breast milk alone (n = 10, P = 0.03). SSC significantly decreased s‐CgA in babies who were fed breast milk only before SSC (n = 10, P = 0.01) but not in those supplemented with formula milk before SSC (n = 2). Secreted IgA in saliva was not affected by SSC. The PI was significantly elevated during SSC ( P = .01). Conclusion Our data indicate that SSC can reduce s‐CgA levels when combined with mother's breast milk and increase the PI in preterm infants, thereby providing additional evidence of the benefit of SSC.