Consequences of mother-newborn separation during COVID-19 restrictions

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic affected multiple areas of healthcare, including the care of preterm newborns. Specifically, the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) method, which promotes skin-to-skin contact between mother and child, was suspended in many hospitals to prevent virus transmission, potentially negatively impacting these vulnerable neonates.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of KMC suspension during the COVID- 19 pandemic on the clinical outcomes of hospitalized preterm newborns.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Hospital Materno Infantil de Mexicali, comparing two groups of preterm newborns: one that received routine KMC in 2018 and another that did not receive KMC during the pandemic in 2020. Anthropometric and clinical variables were analyzed, including weight, height, head circumference, length of hospital stay, and the presence of comorbidities. Statistical analysis was performed using linear regression, t-tests, and chi-square tests to evaluate differences between the groups.

Results: The study included 53 neonates, 20 from 2018 and 33 from 2020. Newborns who received KMC in 2018 had a smaller decline in weight and head circumference Z-scores, shorter hospital stays, lower incidence of retinopathy of prematurity, and higher prevalence of breastfeeding.

Conclusions: The absence of KMC in the patients included in this study during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated a short-term impact on growth curves, hospital stay duration, and the risk of retinopathy of prematurity. However, further research is needed to study the long-term effects that the absence of contact may have on neurological development and the risk of chronic degenerative diseases.