Dear doctor;

I had a normal delivery and my baby is just a week old. Can I apply the Kangaroo mother care?

Tracy Kanzarwa

Dear Tracy,

Kangaroo mother care means skin-to-skin contact of the baby with mother or another parent. The baby is tied comfortably to the mother facing her chest, (name derived from Kangaroo keeping the baby in a pocket in front).

It has multiple advantages, for both the mother and child. Close contact with the mother provides heat to the baby and keeps him warm. This is a big benefit, particularly in a cold climate, because a baby’s body is not insulated to cold naturally.

Feeding the baby also becomes more easy in this position both for mother and baby. Being close to the mother gives sense of comfort to the newborn. Studies show that crying and irritability of babies kept in Kangaroo mother care is less as compared to other babies. The bonding between a parent and child is increased in Kangaroo care.

Since the baby can be tied to either mother or father or any caretaker, the mother can be free to do other things.

Kangaroo care is mostly for premature babies. It was started with the concept of reducing the load of neonatal care units.

The premature babies had good improvement in this care. Risk of acquiring infection in hospital also reduced. Due to multiple benefits it can also be used for any newborn up to 3 months.