Impact of Delayed Cord Clamping and Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care on Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate in Moderate and Late Preterm Infants

Background: Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (iKMC) after delivery and delayed cord clamping (DCC), both improve cardiorespiratory stability in newborns. Methods: This prospective observational study included 96 moderate to late preterm (MLPT) neonates. Preductal pulse oximetry (SpO₂) and heart rate (HR) were recorded during the first 10 minutes after birth. Neonates receiving iKMC and DCC were compared to those without iKMC. Results: iKMC was performed in 64.6% of the infants. The iKMC group showed a trend toward higher SpO₂ levels. Mean SpO₂ was 76.06% in the iKMC group versus 70.98% in the non-iKMC group; at 420 seconds, it was 95.13% versus 93.77%. HR was significantly higher in the iKMC group at all time points, averaging 102.2 bpm at 120 seconds compared to 87.1 bpm in the non-iKMC group. Conclusions: Combining iKMC with DCC improves hemodynamic stability and oxygenation in MLPT infants, with higher HR and earlier stabilization of SpO₂ levels.