Kangaroo Father Care for Premature Baby in Indonesia; Right-Obligation
Susri Utami1,2* Mei-Chih Huang 3,4

1) Student, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Email: uutparadisi[at]yahoo.com
2) Lecturer, Bachelor Nursing Program, College of Health Science, University of Muhammadiyah Pekajangan Pekalongan, Indonesia
3) Professor, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Email: meay2011[at]gmail.com
4) President, Department of Nursing, National Tainan Junior College of Nursing, Tainan, Taiwan

Abstract

During the transition parents of the premature birth infant experienced stressful period when the baby is taken care separately with the mother due to the needs of more sophisticated medical equipment and treatment. In the transition of parenthood, father and mother were equally experience a challenging role and responsibility changes. Even though sharing different role, mother and father experienced similar reduce in their health-related quality of life. However limited attention was given to father, and father often felt being left alone with the feeling of surprise, fear & anxious when the baby is in NICU.
Kangaroo father care can be one of intervention to improve fathers involvement in premature infants care. The existing research proofed extensive positive outcomes on father and infants. Kangaroo care benefited father in gaining and better understand their paternal role. Fathers participation in their infant care from kangaroo father care gained them to feel in control when handling unexpected situation during their preterm infants hospitalization.
The core of relational ethic emphasizes community of relationship, and directs us to attend to the multiple relationships and interactions that affect certain situation. In this regard, nurses should provide the holistic care to the whole family and supporting all the family member equally Relational ethic put the relationship between nurses and the patient in a position in the needs of attention giving and moral space. The relationship created in NICU between nurses, infants, mothers and fathers demand moral good to treated and accept father equally to mother.

Keywords: Kangaroo care, Father, Relational Ethics

Topic: Maternity and Pediatric Nursing