BMJ  2004;329:1179-1181 (13 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7475.1179

Education and debate

Kangaroo Mother Care, an example to follow from developing countries

¹ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, School of Medicine, Javeriana University, Bogotá, Colombia, ² Kangaroo Foundation and Kangaroo Mother Care Program, Bogotá, Colombia, ³ BMJ Knowledge, London WC1H 9JR

Caring for low birthweight infants imposes a heavy burden on poor countries. An effective healthcare technique developed in 1978 may offer a solution to this problem and additionally be of use in wealthy countries too

Introduction

Each year about 20 million infants of low birth weight are born worldwide, which imposes a heavy burden on healthcare and social systems in developing countries.^{1 w1} Medical care of low birthweight infants is complex, demands an expensive infrastructure and highly skilled staff, and is often a very disruptive experience for families.^{2 w2 w3 w4} Premature babies in poorly resourced settings often end up in understaffed and ill equipped neonatal care units, that may be turned into potentially deadly traps by a range of factors colluding—for example, malfunctioning incubators, broken monitors, overcrowding, nosocomial infections, etc.

In 1978 Edgar Rey, a Colombian paediatrician concerned with the problems arising from a shortage of incubators and the impact of separating women from newborns in neonatal care units, developed Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC),³ a healthcare technique for low birthweight infants that is at least as effective as traditional care in a neonatal care unit.^{4 5}

What does KMC entail?

In KMC, babies weighing 2000 g or less at birth and unable to regulate their body temperature remain with their mothers as incubators, main source of stimulation, and feeding. Newborns are attached to mothers and other carers' chests in skin to skin contact, wearing only a nappy and a baby bonnet, and are kept upright 24 hours a day. Mothers can share the role of provider of the kangaroo position with others, especially the babies' fathers, without disrupting breastfeeding routines. The carer should sleep in a semi-sitting position. The KMC begins as soon as the baby no longer requires other support from the neonatal care unit, although intermittent skin to skin contact has been used in ventilated infants^{6 w5 w6} Exclusive breast feeding (plus vitamins) is attempted, and growth is closely monitored. Breast milk is fortified or formula milks are added if infants are not thriving.⁷ Infants will reject permanent contact once they achieve regulation of their body temperature, at a median age of 37 weeks after conception.^{4 8}

KMC usually starts in hospital with an adaptation process. During adaptation and after discharge, carers attend a day clinic where they are trained, infants are monitored, and the carer enmeshes in a social peer network. Care is thereafter provided at home with follow up visits as needed. KMC can be implemented in various facilities at different levels of care.^w8 It may be the best option if neonatal care units are unavailable.^{9 w7 w8} If a neonatal care unit is available but overwhelmed by demand, KMC allows rationalisation of resources by freeing up incubators for sicker infants.^{8 10 w8} Even in well resourced neonatal care units, it still enhances bonding between mother and infant and breast feeding.^{8 11}

Does it work?

Evidence backs the effectiveness and safety of KMC in stable, preterm infants. In low birthweight infants weighing 2000 g or less, who are unable to regulate their temperature, KMC is at least as safe and effective as traditional care with incubators.¹² An open randomised controlled trial in Bogotá, Colombia, assessed the long term clinical effects of KMC by randomising 746 low birthweight infants.^{4 5} Follow up at the 12 months of age corrected for gestational age (93% children) found that KMC had improved successful breastfeeding rates and infections were milder in these children. Hospital stay was reduced in "Kangaroo" newborns weighing 1500 g or less. A non-significant reduction in mortality (3.1% v 5.5%; relative risk 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.17 to 1.18) and slight improvements in developmental indices were found with KMC. The investigators found no significant differences in physical growth patterns or in the rates of cerebral palsy, failure to thrive, visual problems, deafness, or hip dysplasia.⁵ Blind assessments of bonding between mother and infant by using videos in a subsample of 488 mother-infant dyads found that bonding improved markedly with KMC,¹³ as did neurodevelopmental evaluations in infants at higher risk.¹⁴

In developing countries, other studies of varying methodological soundness have found similar results with regard to infections.^{w9 w10} Studies in wealthy countries have not found significant improvement in morbidity, but standard care has still failed to outperform KMC. Current evidence indicates that KMC is at least as good as standard care.^{1 12}

KMC may not suit everyone and every circumstance. People travelling long hours to attend the KMC clinic while caring for other children may rather rely on care in hospital; harsh or risky environments (such as extreme climates, floods, landmines, or conflict areas) or dangerous traffic conditions may make it safer to remain in hospital. Nevertheless, during the one year follow up in the Bogotá study, no transport incidents between home and the KMC clinic were reported.

To overcome transport problems, KMC has been delivered in "Kangaroo wards," where mothers and infants stay for days or weeks until they can be safely discharged home once frequent monitoring is unnecessary. This is the standard way of delivering KMC in several large facilities in both developing countries (for example, Jose Fabella Hospital, Manila) and developed countries (for example, Helsingborg Hospital, Sweden).

KMC may be unsuitable for carers with important mental, cognitive, or behavioural problems. Some parents may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by caring for a premature baby, but most parents cope well with the demands of KMC.^{4 13 15 w11} Most caregivers prefer skin to skin contact over conventional care and find themselves empowered by KMC. Parental sense of fulfilment and confidence are improved, and these improvements are consistently found in affluent settings as well as impoverished settings.^{1 5 12-13 w11 w12}

Where has KMC been implemented and where else can it be implemented?

The Bogotá experience has been replicated in other places. KMC has now been embraced by Colombia's Ministry of Health, and with variable uptake in other countries including Vietnam, Brazil, and South Africa. The Fundación Canguro trained a "second generation" of KMC centres that now deliver KMC in large healthcare centres in 25 developing countries: in Asia (including Ukraine, India and South East Asian countries), Africa (fig 1), and Latin America.^w13 Different modalities of KMC (mainly kangaroo position and nutrition) are currently used in many industrialised countries such as France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A survey among 1133 hospitals providing neonatal intensive care in the United States found that among the 669 (59%) hospitals that responded, 548 (82%) used KMC.^w14 The World Health Organization backed its uptake: "Almost two decades of implementation and research have made it clear that KMC is more than an alternative to incubator care. It has been shown to be effective for thermal control, breastfeeding and bonding in all newborn infants, irrespective of setting, weight, gestational age, and clinical conditions."¹

Guidance on KMC implementation is available, including WHO guidelines that can be downloaded free of charge.¹ Other free information sources are also available.^{w13 w15 w16}

Current evidence shows that KMC should be encouraged in affluent settings; inertia and unfounded wariness are perhaps the biggest hurdles to overcome to achieve this. Despite being developed in a resource stricken setting, parents and healthcare providers alike have often expressed that they are happier with KMC than with standard care, even in the well resourced settings.^{w8 w17-w19}

Conclusion

KMC delivers ideal conditions for stable, low birthweight infants to thrive, strengthens parental participation and empowerment, and contributes to the healing process.^{5 13 w9 w20} Despite relying on simple interventions, KMC is a scientifically sound, effective, and efficient alternative to neonatal care units in many settings (fig 2).¹² It delivers high quality care at a fraction of the cost of usual care,^{9 w7 w8} and improves satisfaction for consumers and providers alike. KMC should be implemented as early as possible; it prepares the family and the environment for a successful discharge from hospital, allowing parents to remain the main direct providers for the physical and emotional needs of low birthweight infants in affluent as well as impoverished environments. In impoverished environments, the evidence shows that KMC may also reduce morbidity and hospital stay. One of the main barriers for rolling out KMC may be unfounded cautiousness, particularly among clinicians and policy makers.

Summary points Low birthweight infants are particularly vulnerable to the increased morbidity and mortality in overcrowded neonatal units Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a technique developed in Colombia to deal with overcrowding of neonatal units, delivers ideal conditions for low birthweight infants to thrive The technique is welcomed by most parents and centres where it has been made available KMC is safe, works at a fraction of the cost of an incubator, reduces morbidity (in impoverished settings), improves breastfeeding rates, improves bonding between mother and infant, and increases satisfaction in parents and care providers KMC has not been outperformed by standard care in any evaluation and is deemed a sound, evidence based alternative to treat premature babies in most settings

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Additional references w1-w20 are on bmj.com

Contributors and sources: JGRP and NC were responsible for the general idea, reviewed the literature, and synthesised their experience as KMC providers and researchers. LGC devised the general structure of the paper and contributed with the view point of a family practitioner who is familiar with the theoretical and practical aspects of the method. All authors contributed equally to the preparation and revision of the manuscript. NC provided the illustrations for this article.

Competing interests: None declared.

References

1. Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization. Kangaroo mother care: a practical guide. 1st ed. Geneva: WHO, 2003.
2. Mew AM, Holditch-Davis D, Belyea M, Miles MS, Fishel A. Correlates of depressive symptoms in mothers of preterm infants. Neonatal Netw 2003;22(5): 51-60.[Medline]
3. Rey E, Martínez H. Manejo racional del niño prematuro. Bogotá, Colombia: Universidad Nacional, Curso de Medicina Fetal, 1983.
4. Charpak N, Ruiz-Pelaez JG, Figueroa de CZ, Charpak Y. Kangaroo mother versus traditional care for newborn infants </= 2000 grams: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 1997;100: 682-8.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5. Charpak N, Ruiz-Pelaez JG, Figueroa de CZ, Charpak Y. A randomized, controlled trial of kangaroo mother care: results of follow-up at 1 year of corrected age. Pediatrics 2001;108: 1072-9.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
6. Ludington-Hoe SM, Ferreira CN, Goldstein MR. Kangaroo care with a ventilated preterm infant. Acta Paediatr 1998;87: 711-3.
7. Ruiz JG, Charpak N, Figuero Z. Predictional need for supplementing breastfeeding in preterm infants under Kangaroo Mother Care. Acta Paediatr 2002;91: 1130-4.[CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
8. Charpak N, Ruiz-Pelaez JG, Figueroa de CZ. Current knowledge of kangaroo mother intervention. Curr Opin Pediatr 1996;8: 108-12.[Medline]
9. Lincetto O, Nazir AI, Cattaneo A. Kangaroo mother care with limited resources. J Trop Pediatr 2000;46: 293-5.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
10. Charpak N, de Calume ZF, Ruiz JG. "The Bogota declaration on kangaroo mother care": conclusions at the second international workshop on the method. Second International Workshop of Kangaroo Mother Care. Acta Paediatr 2000;89: 1137-40.[Medline]
11. Anderson GC, Moore E, Hepworth J, Bergman N. Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;(2): CD003519.
12. Conde-Agudelo A, Díaz-Rossello JL, Belizan JM. Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;(2): CD002771.
13. Tessier R, Cristo M, Velez S, Giron M, de Calume ZF, Ruiz-Palaez JG, et al. Kangaroo mother care and the bonding hypothesis. Pediatrics 1998;102: e17.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
14. Tessier R, Cristo M, Nadeau L, Figueroa Z, Ruiz-Palaez JG, Charpak N. Kangaroo Mother Care: a method for protecting high-risk low birth weight and premature infants against developmental delay. Infant Behav Develop 2003;26: 384-97.[CrossRef]
15. Charpak N, Ruiz Pelaez JG, Charpak Y. Rey-Martinez. Kangaroo mother program: an alternative way of caring for low birth weight infants? One year mortality in a two cohort study. Pediatrics 1994;94: 804-10.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

(Accepted 5 October 2004)

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