Keeping mothers and babies TOGETHER after birth can save 125,000 lives

New research on the life-saving power of skin-to-skin!

Among infants born preterm or at low birthweight, previous research has shown that kangaroo mother care (KMC) reduces infant deaths by as much as 40%, hypothermia by more than 70%, and severe infections by 65%.

Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact — usually the newborn is held on the naked chest of the mother.

But the pandemic has impacted kangaroo care around the world — even though the World Health Organization recommends babies should still breastfeed and have skin-to-skin even if the mother has or is suspected of having COVID-19.

According to a news statement released in March 2021 by the World Health Organization, “the WHO advises that mothers should continue to share a room with their babies from birth and be able to breastfeed and practice skin-to-skin contact — even when COVID-19 infections are suspected or confirmed — and should be supported to ensure appropriate infection prevention practices.”

However, in many countries, if COVID-19 infections are confirmed or suspected, newborn babies are often separated from their mothers, putting the infants at higher risk of infection, lifelong health complications or even death.