Research Explores Extended Kangaroo Mother Care Benefits for Normal Birthweight Newborns
A new randomized controlled trial, detailed in the British Medical Journal Open, is investigating whether extending Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) beyond the first hour of life can benefit healthy newborns with normal birth weight. KMC, which involves prolonged skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and exclusive breastfeeding, is already a well-established practice for preterm and low-birthweight infants, significantly improving their survival rates, thermoregulation, metabolic stability, and breastfeeding outcomes. The current study, conducted across three centers in Uttar Pradesh, India, aims to determine if these advantages can be extended to babies weighing at least 2,500 grams at birth. The trial involves 516 healthy singleton newborns and their mothers, randomizing them into two groups. Both groups receive essential newborn care, including initial SSC and breastfeeding counseling. The intervention group, however, receives additional KMC counseling, encouraging at least eight hours of daily SSC with exclusive breast...
