Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)

Preterm birth is the leading direct cause of neonatal deaths worldwide, and, in addition, low birthweight is a significant underlying cause in over 60% of all neonatal deaths.
 
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a simple, low-cost intervention in which mothers serve as human incubators for their newborns, and according a recent meta-analysis on the effectiveness of KMC, it is one of the most effective ways to save preterm babies.
 
KMC has three main components including thermal care through continuous skin-to-skin contact; support for exclusive breastfeeding or other appropriate feeding; and early recognition and response to complications. KMC can be started after birth as soon as the baby is clinically stable, and can be continued at home until the baby is stronger and begins to wriggle out which is often around the time the baby would have been born if they had been full term.