Kangaroo mother care: for all small newborns everywhere by Dr Helen Brotherton
Kangaroo mother care: for all small newborns everywhere by Dr Helen Brotherton
Summary
Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a package of care for small newborns. It is a complex intervention that includes the following key components: prolonged skin-to-skin contact; exclusive breastmilk feeding; early hospital discharge and adequate support & follow-up. KMC has multiple benefits for newborns, mothers and health systems; there is a significant reduction in mortality, nosocomial infection/sepsis and hypothermia, with an increase in exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, if done correctly and for sufficient time each day.
Dr Helen Brotherton is a clinical academic focused on hospital care of the small vulnerable newborn. She is a Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician in Scotland and a Clinical Assistant Professor at MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM.