Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) had a dramatic effect on the ability to provide care in its original setting and there is little doubt that it appears a safe and effective approach to caring for premature infants.1 Although the original aim was to provide effective care in settings with scarce resources, the use of KMC in Western settings would have different aims, which in essence reduce to three main areas: improved contact between mother and infant (and father and infant), quicker establishment of breast feeding, and shorter stay in hospital. Whether longer term outcomes in important measures, such as behaviour or developmental progress, are notably improved remains a tantalising possibility, but better early …