Through the Eyes of Parents: Unpacking Parental Perception of Kangaroo Father Care

Abstract

Kangaroo care is a nurturing method for infants, emphasizing skin-to-skin contact, usually with the mother. This adaptable guide helps health professionals implement kangaroo care effectively for optimal newborn outcomes. To explore parents' perceptions of Kangaroo Father Care, the study adopted a non-experimental quantitative exploratory research design with purposive sampling. The study took place in selected mother and child clinics in Pune City. The tool used had two sections: Part I included demographic variables, and Part II was a Likert scale assessing parents' perceptions of Kangaroo Father Care with 15 items on a three-point scale. The analysis showed that a majority of 52.5% of participants had a high level of perception, 44.3% had an average perception, and only 3.3% had a poor perception. A Chi-square test examined the link between demographic variables and parents' perception of Kangaroo Father Care. At a 5% significance level, only the infant's gender showed a significant association. Conclusion: A significant portion of participants exhibited positive perceptions of Kangaroo Father Care, acknowledging its benefits for the newborn's health, bonding with the child, and reducing neonatal mortality. However, some parents harbored negative perceptions about KFC, expressing concerns about discomfort to parents, potential harm, and hindrances to constant engagement with neonate. It is evident that fostering awareness and encouraging the adoption of Kangaroo Father care can contribute to the holistic well-being of both parents and infants, fostering a deeper connection within the family unit. Further research can be explored to promote the widespread acceptance and implementation of this valuable caregiving practice.