Which of the following is a recognized benefit of kangaroo care?

Kangaroo care, which involves skin-to-skin contact between a parent and a newborn, particularly preterm infants, has numerous benefits that contribute to improved health outcomes for neonates. One of the most recognized benefits is improved parental attachment. This practice fosters bonding between the parent and the infant through direct physical contact, which enhances the emotional connection and promotes feelings of closeness and security.

Additionally, skin-to-skin contact has been shown to positively influence the infant's physiological responses, including stable heart rates, improved oxygen saturation levels, and better thermal regulation. Stronger parental attachment can also encourage parents to be more involved in their child's care, leading to increased confidence in caring for their newborn and promoting parental mental health.

In contrast, options such as increased hospital stay, lower feeding frequency, and reduced need for parental involvement do not align with the goals of kangaroo care. In fact, one of the aims of this approach is to potentially reduce the length of hospital stays as infants demonstrate better growth and development in response to the nurturing environment created by kangaroo care. Similarly, kangaroo care often leads to increased feeding frequency as the closeness encourages breastfeeding and better feeding cues. Lastly, kangaroo care actively involves parents in their infant's care, enhancing