Kangaroo care at birth for full term infants: a pilot study.

Purpose: To determine whether breastfeeding behaviors, skin temperature, and blood glucose values could be influenced through the use of kangaroo care at the time of birth in healthy full term infants.

Method: Descriptive study with nine full term neonates given kangaroo care beginning within 1 minute of birth and continuing until completion of the first breastfeeding by mothers who intended to breastfeed. Infant skin temperature was taken at 1 and 5 minutes after birth and every 15 minutes thereafter.