The Kangaroo Mother Care Foundation of India has been conceived with the purpose of scaling up awareness, advocacy and proper practice of KMC, as well as promotion of KMC related research in the country. Following the 9th International Conference on KMC in Ahmedabad, India, from 22-25 November 2012, a group of like-minded doctors from Gujarat decided to initiate this foundation to promote KMC in India. It is a voluntary, non-profit, non-governmental organization covering activities across the country, with a permanent central office at Gujarat.
Mission
To make Kangaroo Mother Care a part of routine care of all the newborns, especially low birth weight infants, and not just a special, additional newborn care intervention.
Vision
KMC is considered as the natural right of every baby and more so for the low birth weight newborns, including preterm and IUGR babies, and must be the gold standard of care as soon as possible after birth. KMC practice should become universal and reach all newborns in the country, be that in hospitals or at home. A mother’s chest is the best place for baby care and a mother’s milk is the best food for a baby’s nutrition. Avoid mother baby separation as much as possible. Incubators or other warming devices like radiant warmers are used only when KMC is not possible rather than using KMC when incubators or warmers are not available. We should always aim at zero separation of mother and her newborn baby.
Proposed activities
Kangaroo Mother Care promotion is the main theme. But other related aspects of newborn care including breastfeeding of low birth weight babies, infection prevention measures, detection of danger signals at very early stages, neonatal transport, primary care of sick babies and other related topics are also covered.
- Training and capacity building of all cadres of newborn health care workers, i.e. doctors, nurses and community workers, including ANMs, AWWs, ASHA, Jashoda and mother companions, and other groups from different NGOs and voluntary service organizations.
- Awareness and advocacy programs combined with behavior change communication activities for the public in general.
- Conduction and participation in conferences, workshops, parent group meetings etc.
- Support research and publications related to KMC and breast feeding.
- Form a resource center for KMC in India.
- Compile KMC bibliography and newborn care related topics in India.
- Conduct research studies and participate in multi-centric national and international projects, depending on fund availability.
- Awards and appreciations for best research papers, best KMC promotion activities carried out by doctors, nurses and different groups of health care workers and volunteers.
- Accreditation of best Kangaroo Care wards and units, and follow up on programs at a later stage.
- Publish a quarterly newsletter on KMC and newborn care related topics in India, covering hospital based and community based experiments and studies.
- Any other activities which will help promote KMC in India.