Evidence · Randomised trial
Immediate "Kangaroo Mother Care" and Survival of Infants with Low Birth Weight.
- Delivery room and stabilisation
- Developmental care and positioning
- Family-integrated care
- Medical
- Nursing
- Postnatal and transitional care
- Preterm stabilisation
- Thermoregulation
Summary
This multicentre randomised controlled trial (WHO iKMC study) in five hospitals in Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania compared immediate kangaroo mother care with conventional incubator or radiant warmer care until stabilisation in infants weighing 1.0 to 1.799 kg at birth. Infants in the intervention group received far more daily skin-to-skin contact in the neonatal unit. Immediate kangaroo mother care reduced neonatal mortality at 28 days, while the difference at 72 hours was not significant. The trial was stopped early because of the mortality benefit and is a landmark study for low birth weight care and family-centred practice.
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