Kangaroo

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of nurse-guided maternal interventional package for reducing stress behaviour among preterm neonates admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 100 mothers and their newborns delivered preterm and admitted consecutively in the NICU over 4 months. Mothers in the intervention group (n = 50) received education and demonstration regarding the use of maternal touch, facilitated tucking, kangaroo mother care (KMC), non-nutritive sucking (NNS), nesting and maternal voice alongwith a handout in local language for five consecutive days, while those in the control group (n = 50) received routine care including KMC and NNS for five consecutive days...

Macropodid alphaherpesvirus 2 (MaAHV2) is best described in macropods and has been implicated in outbreaks among captive marsupial populations in Australia. Natural disease caused by herpesviruses has not been reported previously in opossum species, to our knowledge. One Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ) and 1 water opossum ( Chironectes minimus ) were submitted for postmortem examination from a zoo that housed 6 opossums, all of which died within several weeks. Red kangaroos ( Macropus rufus ) and red-necked wallabies ( Macropus rufogriseus ) were also present at the facility...

Using finite element analysis on the astragali of five macropodine kangaroos (extant and extinct hoppers) and three sthenurine kangaroos (extinct proposed bipedal striders) we investigate how the stresses experienced by the ankle in similarly sized kangaroos of different hypothesized/known locomotor strategy compare under different simulation scenarios, intended to represent the moment of midstance at different gaits. These tests showed a clear difference between the performance of sthenurines and macropodines with the former group experiencing lower stress in simulated bipedal strides in all species compared with hopping simulations, supporting the hypothesis that sthenurines may have utilized this gait...

BACKGROUND: As an essential part of Early Essential Newborn Care, 90 minutes of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact is significant in improving maternal and infant outcomes. However, due to human resource constraints and the consideration of maternal and infant safety, it is difficult to achieve continuous uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact for at least 90 minutes during and after cesarean delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of the continuous uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact for at least 90 minutes during and after cesarean section for exclusive breastfeeding rate during hospitalization and maternal and infant health indicators during and after cesarean delivery...

OBJECTIVES: 1) To determine the effect of neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES), which considers the social and physical environment where a person lives, on parental engagement in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); 2) To compare the relationships between parental engagement and individual versus neighborhood-level measures of SES. STUDY DESIGN: In this cohort study, parents (n=45) of premature neonates ≤ 34 weeks gestation were assessed at two and six weeks after birth from December 2017 to October 2019...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and growth of preterm and/or low birth weight newborns during the third stage of the Kangaroo Method (TSKM), at discharge. METHODS: Retrospective study in a reference public maternity hospital between Jan/2014 and Dec/2017, including the preterm (less than 37 weeks) and/or low birth weight (less than 2500 g) newborn infants. Information was collected from medical records. Statistics analysis was done in SPSS software...

The global concern regarding the ubiquitous presence of plastics in the environment has led to intensified research on the impact of these materials on wildlife. In the Australian context, marsupials represent a unique and diverse group of mammals, yet little is known about their exposures to plastics. This study aimed to assess the contamination levels of seven common plastics (i.e., polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) in both the diet and faeces of kangaroos, wallabies and koalas sampled from a sanctuary in Northeastern Australia...

INTRODUCTION: Prematurity presents a significant challenge to the global community due to the rapid increase in its incidence and its disproportionate contribution to increased infant mortality rates. OBJECTIVE: To assess the survival status and predictors of mortality among preterm neonates. DESIGN: A multicentre prospective follow-up study was used. SETTING: 625 preterm neonates were admitted to hospitals for secondary level of care...

BACKGROUND: Skin-to-skin care (SSC) between newborns and their parents provides many positive outcomes for both newborns and their parents. However, there is a lack of research assessing the perception of parents, especially fathers, of SSC in Saudi Arabia. PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to assess parents' perception of SSC in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online survey. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 140 parents of hospitalized neonates between January and June 2023...

Distantly related mammals (e.g. jerboa, tarsiers, kangaroos) have convergently evolved elongated hindlimbs relative to body size. Limb elongation is hypothesized to make these species more effective jumpers by increasing their kinetic energy output (through greater forces or acceleration distances), thereby increasing take-off velocity and jump distance. This hypothesis, however, has rarely been tested at the population level, where natural selection operates. We examined the relationship between limb length, muscular traits, and dynamics using Longshanks mice, which were selectively bred over 22 generations for longer tibiae...

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 1.5 million neonatal deaths occur among premature and small (low birthweight or small-for gestational age) neonates annually, with a disproportionate amount of this mortality occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Hypothermia, the inability of newborns to regulate their body temperature, is common among prematurely born and small babies, and often underlies high rates of mortality in this population. In high-resource settings, incubators and radiant warmers are the gold standard for hypothermia, but this equipment is often scarce in LMICs...

Hypothermia is a leading newborn complication, especially among premature and/or low birth weight infants. Within low/middle-income countries where incubators and radiant warmers are often in short supply, leading to gaps in the thermal care chain, neonatal hypothermia underlies high rates of newborn morbidity and mortality. Kangaroo Mother Care/Skin-to-skin care is an effective method for prevention of hypothermia in premature and low birthweight babies but can be very burdensome for families and healthcare providers...

The 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season had a devastating impact on native wildlife. It was estimated that 3 billion native animals were impacted by the fires, yet there are few estimates of the number of animals that were rescued and rehabilitated post-fire. Focusing on the state of New South Wales (NSW) and Kangaroo Island, South Australia, we used a case study approach to determine the number of marsupials that were reported rescued due to the 2019-2020 bushfires in these areas and analysed species-specific trends in rescue and release success...

Traditional Dipodomys (sub)species identification uses geography, phenotype, and external/skull measurements. Such measurements are correlated with size and thus redundant. I assessed the value of scaled cranial shape, based on two-dimensional landmarks (analyzed using geometric morphometric methods) in distinguishing Dipodomys taxa, and in summarizing their variation. My dataset includes 601 adult specimens from 20 species (49 operational taxonomic units - OTUs) across 190 localities. Cranial shape was highly useful in classifying Dipodomys taxa without considering geography...

Scavenging dynamics are influenced by many abiotic and biotic factors, but there is little knowledge of how scavengers respond to extreme weather events. As carrion is a major driver of the organisation and structure of food webs within ecological communities, understanding the response of scavengers to extreme weather events is critical in a world that is increasingly subject to climate change. In this study, vertebrate scavenging and carcass persistence rates were quantified in the Simpson Desert of central Australia; a system that experiences major fluctuations and extremes in weather conditions...

BACKGROUND: Early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) at birth has been shown to improve neonatal outcomes due to enhanced cardiorespiratory stability, thermoregulation and breastfeeding success. LOCAL PROBLEM: The practice of early SSC was virtually non-existent in our delivery room (DR). METHODS AND INTERVENTIONS: The study was conducted in a newly established tertiary care teaching hospital in Western Rajasthan, India. We aimed to improve the median duration of early SSC from 0 min to at least 60 min over 24 weeks in our DR...

BACKGROUND: The burden of neonatal mortality is primarily borne by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including deaths due to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Few studies have assessed infection prevention and control (IP&C) practices in African units caring for small and/or sick newborns aimed to reduce HAIs. METHODS: We performed a mixed-methods study composed of a survey and virtual tour to assess IP&C and related practices. We created a survey composed of multiple-choice and open-ended questions delivered to site respondents via Zoom or video equivalent...

Humming is probably more effective than speech for improving mothers' cardiorespiratory function and infants' self-regulation. We intend to understand the effects of (1) maternal humming vs. speech on preterm infants' physiological parameters, (2) maternal humming vs. speech on mothers' physiological parameters, and (3) humming melodic contours and the process of the lengthening of the final note on preterm infants' physiological parameters. This study was designed as a single-group repeated measures study, using microanalytical methodology (ELAN software version 4...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether kangaroo mother care (KMC) in preterm infants on non-invasive respiratory support improves indices of cardiorespiratory wellbeing. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective quasi-experimental observational study. SETTING: Tertiary perinatal neonatal unit. PATIENTS: 50 very preterm infants being managed with nasal continuous positive airway pressure. INTERVENTIONS: Continuous high-resolution preductal pulse-oximetry recordings using Masimo Radical-7 oximeter for 1 hour (incubator care) followed by 1 hour during KMC performed on the same day...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and hospital length-of-stay in preterm infants undergoing or not the Kangaroo-Mother Care Method (KMC). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including preterm infants < 1800 g admitted to the neonatal unit of a KMC reference center. The infants were grouped into the KMC group and the non-KMC group. Multiple logistic and Poisson regressions were performed to evaluate the association between the KMC and two outcomes, exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, and hospital length-of-stay, adjusted for potential confounders...