A Implantação Da Terceira Etapa Do Método Canguru: Desafios E Potencialidades

Abstract

The Kangaroo Method is a model that aims at providing qualified and humanized care to preterm newborns during prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum periods. The method is divided into three stages, with the first and second stages taking place in a hospital setting. The third stage begins with hospital discharge and ends when the newborn reaches a weight of 2,500 grams. Objective: To analyze the challenges and potentialities of implementing the Kangaroo Method in Brazil according to the literature. Method: This is an integrative literature review of publications between 2010 and 2023, in Portuguese and English, conducted in the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases. The descriptors used were "Método Canguru" and "Kangaroo Method." Results: The search yielded 1,146 results (BVS n= 994; SciELO n= 152). In the first selection phase, based on the article title, 905 articles were selected. After reading the articles abstract, 202 remained, of which 169 were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. After full-text reading of 33 articles and applying exclusion criteria, 13 studies remained and were included in this review. The studies revealed that the main challenges for implementing the third stage of the Kangaroo Method include the lack of professional training and the absence of a network design that allows better communication between primary care and other levels of care. Conclusion: The effectiveness of the third stage of the Kangaroo Method requires improving the care network in terms of referral and counter-referral, training health professionals in secondary and primary care, and instructing parents in the home care required for the newborn.