Kangaroo mother care: a simple, smart, no-cost investment in our children’s future

courtesy:HNN   

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) refers to the practice of providing continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, exclusive breastmilk feeding, and early discharge from the hospital. It helps save millions of preterm babies in poor resource setting by regulating the baby’s temperature, speeding up the weight gain, and reducing the risk of infections.

KMC was first introduced in Bogotá, Colombia by two pediatricians Dr. Rey and Dr. Martinez in 1970s following increasing preterm morbidity and mortality.

Both the pediatricians were deeply troubled by the lack of incubators in poor resource settings and while looking for solutions were inspired by the way mother kangaroo care for their young ones.

Born immature, about 1-inch long and weighing less than a gram, the baby kangaroo immediately crawls up the mother’s body to enter the pouch. Once inside, they attach to one of the four teats to get nourishment, warmth and develop to become active and independent.

Years later, many studies and meta-analysis have proven the benefits of kangaroo care. A 2015 study has shown a 36% reduction in mortality for preterm babies who receive kangaroo care vs. conventional neonatal care. Adopted on a national scale in Rwanda, it has brought down neonatal mortality by 30% between 2008 and 2015.

The World Health Organization recommends KMC for the routine care of newborns weighing 2000 grams or less at birth. However, surprisingly a tiny percentage of newborns who could benefit from kangaroo care receive it.

KMC day is celebrated on May 15th

Country-level adoption and implementation are very poor. It is often considered as “ second best” to incubator care. Every year, about 2.7 million newborns die during their first month of life, the majority occurring in parts of the world where there are no hospitals or clinics nearby, and no access to skilled birth attendants. These areas could greatly benefit from the adoption of kangaroo care.

KMC also has long-term cultural, social and behavioral benefits for our society. A recent study noted that this practice is a gift whose value keeps on multiplying over time.  Parents that practiced kangaroo care were more protective and nurturing and very well bonded with their children. The children were less likely to be absent from school and less likely to have antisocial behavior.

These positive effects were still present in the children 20 years later! Now that is a simple, smart, no-cost investment in our children’s future.

Here is a video about kangaroo care from gatesnotes

WHO Kangaroo mother care: a practical guide

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