Science behind KMC

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Kangaroo Mother Care

For Parents In Malaysia

Why KMC?

Fewer baby deaths

Fewer babies with severe infections

Fewer babies becoming cold

Better
success
with
breast-
feeding

Earlier
baby-
mother
hospital
discharge

Better
parent-
baby
bonding

How is KMC effective?

Benefits & New Publication

	*Per 1000*	Per 1000
	With KMC	Without KMC
Babies who died	40	60
Successful breastfeeding upon discharge	914	726
Continuation in breastfeeding for at least 1 month	832	711
Babies with severe infection	65	131
Babies who became too cold	76	271

New research published on the 27th of May 2021 in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that KMC improves premature babies’ chances of survival when it is started immediately after birth instead of waiting till the baby is stable.

Conde-Agudelo A, Diaz-Rossello JL, Belizan JM. Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(2):CD002771. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002771. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;(3):CD002771. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002771 PMID: 12804436
Bahl R., Rao S. Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care and Survival of Low Birth Weight Infants, N Engl J Med. 2021 May 27; 384(21): 2028–2038. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026486: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026486 PMCID: PMC8108485 PMID: 34038632
Wang, Y., Zhao, T., Zhang, Y., Li, S., & Cong, X. (2021). Positive Effects of Kangaroo Mother Care on Long-Term Breastfeeding Rates, Growth, and Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants. Breastfeeding medicine: the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 16(4), 282–291. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2020.0358

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