CITATION: A clinical practice guide to transform care and save newborn lives with kangaroo mother care
Gupta, Shuchita et al.
The Lancet, Volume 407, Issue 10523, 7 - 9
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1016%2FS0140-6736...
ABSTRACT
Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of deaths among newborns and children younger than 5 years worldwide, contributing to an estimated 36% of neonatal mortality and 18% of under-5 deaths globally. Kangaroo mother care (KMC)—prolonged skin-to-skin contact (8–24 h daily) with support for exclusive breastfeeding or breastmilk feeding—is one of the most effective interventions to reduce mortality, infection, and hypothermia in newborns, while also promoting growth and neurodevelopment. However, despite compelling evidence and decades of global endorsement, KMC coverage remains fragmented, inconsistent, and grossly inadequate.
EXTRACTS
'WHO's new Kangaroo Mother Care: A Clinical Practice Guide, published on Nov 17, 2025, seeks to address these implementation challenges'
https://iris.who.int/bitstreams/fbdb2fa7-4296-4769-a6d0-7df924902223/dow...
'For all countries the message is clear: KMC must become the standard of care for all preterm and low birthweight newborns.'
CHIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org