The Power of Kangaroo Care for Newborns: A Game-Changing Study
An estimated 13.4 million newborns are born pre-term each year, with pre-term birth being the leading cause of child deaths globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends kangaroo care for pre-term and low birthweight infants, a practice that has shown remarkable results in saving lives. While traditionally, kangaroo care was only recommended after newborns had been clinically stabilised in incubators, a recent study from Uganda published in The Lancet has shown that starting kangaroo care before stabilisation can result in a 14% decrease in mortality rates in the first 28 days of life.
Prof Joy Lawn, a leading expert in neonatal care, emphasizes the importance and cost-effectiveness of implementing kangaroo care from the beginning. This simple practice of skin-to-skin contact has the potential to significantly impact neonatal survival rates worldwide. As Prof Lawn puts it, “It’s not magic, it’s science.” Kangaroo care not only saves lives but also places families at the center of care for their newborns.