The Essence of Kangaroo Mother Care: Nurturing Preterm Infants through Skin-to-Skin Contact
This is a guest post from the Leo & Mia Foundation.
World Prematurity Day on 17 November is one of the most important days in the year to raise awareness of the challenges and burden of preterm birth globally. The day was initiated by European organizations in 2008 and soon “World Prematurity Day” became an intercontinental movement. Individuals and organizations from more than 100 countries celebrate this day with activities, special events, and commitment to help address preterm birth and improve the situation of preterm babies and their families.
Besides the colour purple which stands for sensitivity and exceptionality, the socksline has become a symbol for World Prematurity Day. The small pair of purple socks – framed by nine full-size baby socks – symbolizes: that 1 in 10 babies is born preterm. Worldwide.
About World Prematurity Day:
Every year, 13.4 million babies are born preterm (i.e. before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) – more than one baby out of ten, worldwide. World Prematurity Day is a key moment to focus global attention on the burden of preterm birth, leading to long-term morbidity and infant mortality. Preterm birth is in fact the leading cause of child deaths under the age of 5. In 2019, complications from preterm birth accounted for nearly 900,000 deaths globally. And as data continues to show, in the majority of countries with adequate data collection, preterm birth rates are rising.
Without a major push to address prematurity, we will not reach the Sustainable Development Goal for Health that clearly wants to end maternal and child deaths as a result of poor newborn and maternal care. World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to call attention to the heavy burden that preterm birth causes on parents, families, friends and on former preterm born children. Yet, World Prematurity Day is not only about problems, but also a chance to talk about solutions!
The Leo and Mia Foundation (L&M Foundation) is embarking on a comprehensive campaign to observe and celebrate World Prematurity Day on 17th November 2023. The theme for World Prematurity Day 2023 is "small actions BIG IMPACT: immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere". The campaign aims to emphasize the vital role of immediate skin-to-skin care for preterm babies and the impact it has on their wellbeing.
Why is skin-to-skin care important?
Preterm infants, born before completing their gestational period, face numerous challenges in adjusting to the environment outside the womb. Their underdeveloped bodies struggle to regulate temperature, heart rate, and breathing. The immediate skin-to-skin contact with the mother's chest provides the infant with the warmth they need, akin to the womb's protective environment. This physical closeness helps stabilize vital signs, reduces the risk of hypothermia, encourages early breastfeeding, and fosters an emotional bond between the baby and the caregiver. It's a simple yet powerful practice that significantly improves the survival rates and overall well-being of these vulnerable newborns, offering a lifeline during their initial critical days.
What is Kangaroo Care?
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), an intervention that involves early, continuous, and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between the mother (or primary caregiver) and the premature or low birth weight (LBW) baby, coupled with exclusive breastfeeding (World Health Organisation). It represents a simple, yet profoundly effective approach to improving neonatal care, with immediate KMC being a pivotal component.
The Essence of Skin-to-Skin Contact
Skin-to-skin contact is more than a comforting embrace; it is a lifeline for preterm and LBW infants. The warmth and closeness provided by the mother's or caregiver's chest offer a sense of security and comfort that mirrors the protective environment of the womb. It is within this intimate embrace that infants experience numerous physiological and psychological benefits, crucial for their survival and development:
Temperature Regulation:
The mother's body provides the ideal environment for temperature regulation, vital for preterm infants who struggle to maintain their body heat. This direct skin-to-skin contact acts as a natural incubator, reducing the risk of hypothermia.
Stabilizing Vital Signs:
Immediate KMC allows for continuous monitoring of the infant's vital signs, ensuring prompt identification of any distress. Heart rate, breathing patterns, colour, and temperature can be closely observed and addressed promptly if needed.
Emotional Bonding:
The emotional bonding that occurs during skin-to-skin contact nurtures the parent-child relationship. It establishes a strong foundation for trust and attachment, which is essential for the child's socio-emotional development.
Breastfeeding Promotion:
Skin-to-skin contact promotes exclusive breastfeeding. The close proximity of the infant to the mother's breast triggers early feeding cues, encouraging successful breastfeeding and improving the infant's nutritional intake.
Immune Boost:
The mother's skin carries a myriad of beneficial microbes that help shape the infant's developing immune system, providing defense against infections.
Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care and World Prematurity Day 2023
The 2023 theme, "small actions BIG IMPACT: immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere," underscores the transformative power of immediate Kangaroo Mother Care. This approach emphasizes that the simple act of placing a premature or low birth weight infant on the mother's chest can profoundly impact their survival and overall well-being.
Initiating Kangaroo Mother Care immediately after birth, even before clinical stabilization, challenges the traditional practice and highlights the urgency to integrate this care right from the beginning of an infant's life. It addresses the fact that many preterm deaths occur before conventional Kangaroo Mother Care initiation, making immediate KMC a potential game-changer in reducing mortality rates.
Isha’s Story of Skin-to-skin contact: “Miracle of Love & warmth- KMC”
Isha gave birth to triplets (boys) at 31 weeks. . They weighed 1.5 kg, 1.4kg, and 900gm. The babies had to spend around two months in the NICU prior to discharge. Kangaroo Mother Care was initiated within three days of birth and the babies were responding well.
“Initially I was scared, my babies were so tiny and the last one had more wires over his body. I felt overwhelmed seeing my babies in that condition and was constantly worried whether I would hurt them , while holding especially the last one”- Isha remembers.
Isha had to sit continuously for 4-5 hours a day to initiate skin-to-skin for all the three little ones. The nurses at the NICU facilitated and encouraged her to continue for as long as possible. Slowly she got trained and was able to perform KMC well. Her babies started to gain weight and there was remarkable improvement in her breastmilk production.
“ KMC helped me in connecting with my babies. I felt strengthened and confident as a mother. Even slight improvements in their weight and movements motivated me to continue KMC. The boys were calm when they were close to my chest and this was one of the most beautiful feeling which I ever felt.”
Now the boys are 6 months old and very active. They have gained adequate weight and Isha is completely busy taking care of her little babies.
The work of the Leo & Mia Foundation:
An international nonprofit, the L&M (Leo & Mia) Foundation is a change maker for mothers, preterm children, and their families to access the care, support, and education they need. With a focus on early interventions, the foundation develops a continuum of care for preterm babies and their mothers in the first 1000 days of their lives. The foundation strives to engage communities to actively change the narrative around preterm births, develop better understanding and encourage empathy. Our interventions involve various activities aimed at promoting Kangaroo care among mothers and family members of preterm children.
Development of IEC materials
With one of our local implementing partners SOMA, we developed IEC material- posters highlighting the significance of KMC and circulated among our beneficiaries as well as health care institutions in Kerala, India.
Distribution of IEC materials to linked health care institutions
Prepared IEC materials are distributed to government healthcare institutions in various project locations. They are being displayed at ANC clinics and vaccination points in these hospitals, facilitating young mothers, pregnant women and family members to get sensitized on these aspects.
If you have a question for the Leo & Mia foundation or about skin-to-skin contact, leave it in the comments.
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