AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 Abstract · Nov 2, 2026
Kangaroo Mother Care and Long-Term Cardiac Function: A Comprehensive Echocardiographic Study in Preterm-Born Adults
By Lemus Barrios G, Lombo B, McNamara RL et al.
Background: Adults born preterm carry excess cardiovascular risk, in part through subclinical myocardial dysfunction that persists decades after birth. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)—a neonatal intervention based on continuous skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge with structured outpatient follow-up—reduces neonatal morbidity and mortality at low cost, but whether it modifies the cardiac trajectory of preterm survivors remains unknown. Hypothesis: Adults born preterm who received KMC during the neonatal period demonstrate better global myocardial function compared to preterm-born adults who did not. Methods: Historical cohort with cross-sectional echocardiographic evaluation. Adults born at <37 weeks with birth weight <2000g were recruited from a prospective neonatal registry in BogotÁ, Colombia. Protocol included 2D, speckle-tracking global longitudinal strain (GLS), 3D biventricular volumetrics, and myocardial work analysis. KMC (n=51) and no-KMC (n=39) groups were compared using Welch's t-test and multivariable linear regression adjusted for gestational age, sex, intrauterine growth restriction, and birth weight. Results: Ninety adults (mean age 31.3 years; 72% female) completed evaluation. LV GLS was significantly better in KMC-exposed participants (–22.8±2.4% vs –21.4±2.7%, p=0.017), persisting after multivariable adjustment (β=–1.284, p=0.019). Systolic blood pressure was lower in the KMC group (117.2±13.9 vs 122.5±8.7 mmHg, p=0.037). Three-dimensional echocardiography (n=65, 72% complete) confirmed preserved biventricular function without volumetric differences (LV ejection fraction 59.8% vs 59.1%, p=0.44; RV ejection fraction 45.0% vs 46.1%, p=0.62). Myocardial work indices showed a consistent directional trend favoring KMC across all parameters (global work index 1629 vs 1527 mmHg%, p=0.20). The GLS effect was most pronounced in females (p=0.009) and persisted in participants without intrauterine growth restriction. Conclusions: KMC exposure is associated with better LV longitudinal strain and lower systolic blood pressure in preterm-born adults, independent of gestational age, sex, and growth restriction. A coherent directional pattern across myocardial work indices supports sustained myocardial benefit. Long-term cardiac outcomes of KMC in preterm-born adults represent an understudied dimension of perinatal medicine, and these findings carry direct implications for neonatal care policy in low- and middle-income countries.