PMNCH / Isabel Pinto
Eunice and twins. Skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborn baby after birth is practiced.
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Kangaroo mother care: A clinical practice guide

This is a cover page for the kangaroo mother care practice guide.

This guide is intended to assist health workers in supporting mothers and families in practicing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) both in health facilities and at home.

It also offers brief guidance for policymakers, health facility administrators, and local programme managers on how to create a supportive environment and provide the necessary health system resources to support health workers in assisting mothers and families in practicing KMC.

Table of contents

1. Introduction to the guide

A mother welcomes her newborn and provides immediate KMC.
General TWG Long An Hospital /KC. Luong
A mother provides immediate KMC to her preterm newborn, who requires CPAP support, in the presence of the father.
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This section introduces the Guide – why and how it was prepared, who it is for, and how to use it. This section is relevant for all readers.

1.1 Context for updating Kangaroo mother care: a practical guide

1.2 Process of developing this guide

1.3 Intended audience

1.4 How this guide is intended to be used

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2. Understanding KMC

A mother and her newborn baby in a hospital setting while the mother provides KMC.
General TWG Long An Hospital /KC. Luong
A mother breastfeeds her newborn in the kangaroo position in Vietnam.
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This section explains what KMC is, why it is important, and the key aspects of KMC practice that align with the latest evidence or best practice. This information will be useful for those who are unfamiliar with KMC, as well as for experienced health workers.

2.1 What is Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)?

2.2 Why is KMC important?

2.3 Who should receive KMC?

2.4 Who can provide KMC?

2.5 Where KMC should be provided?

2.6 How long should KMC continue?

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3. Implementing KMC: requirements for health facilities

New mothers practicing Kangaroo mother care in a hospital setting.
WHO /Blink Media - H.Abebe
New mothers with their infants providing KMC at Felege Hiwot Hospital in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
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This section explains how KMC can be implemented as a core component of small and/or sick newborn care at all health system levels. It outlines the essential requirements and actions for implementing KMC in primary, secondary and tertiary-level health facilities and at home. This information is useful for health facility administrators, program managers, and senior health workers who are in a position to influence and strengthen facility-level processes.

3.1 Favourable health facility policies and protocols

3.2 Infrastructure

3.3 Equipment and supplies

3.4 Health facility records

3.5 Health workforce

3.6 Costs of care

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    SECTION 4. Practical guidance on providing KMC in health facilities

    A healthcare worker and a newborn in a hospital setting.
    General TWG Long An Hospital /KC. Luong
    A healthcare worker examines a newborn on kangaroo position in Vietnam.
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    This section provides practical guidance for health workers on supporting mothers and families in practising KMC in health facilities starting at birth and continuing through to discharge. It is intended for those directly involved in providing maternal and newborn care within health facilities.

    4.1 Antenatal preparation and counselling

    4.2 Starting KMC in birthing areas

    4.3 Continuing KMC in the health facility

    4.4 Monitoring the initiation, duration and quality of KMC in the health facility

    4.5 Preparing for discharge for continued KMC at home

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    SECTION 5. Supporting mothers and families in practicing KMC at home

    A father provides skin-to-skin contact to his newborn at home.
    Fundación Canguro /Kangaroo Foundation
    A father provides skin-to-skin contact to his newborn at home in Colombia.
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    This section describes how mothers and families can be supported in practising KMC at home. This section is relevant for program managers and community-based health workers involved in supporting maternal and newborn care at the community level.

    5.1 Key requirements and considerations for KMC at home

    5.2 Specific considerations for KMC started at home

    5.3 Practical considerations for supporting effective KMC at home

    54. Monitoring and follow-up

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    References

    A mother and her infant child provides iKMC in a hospital setting.
    General TWG Long An Hospital /KC. Luong
    A mother provides KMC to her newborn son. Her older son is involved in looking after his new brother.
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    This section provides references to some key information included in this Guide.

     

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    Annexes

    Kangaroo mother care in a hospital setting.
    WHO /G. Borrero
    A doctor guides a mother to do proper Kangaroo Mother Care positioning in Da Nang, Vietnam.
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    Annex 1. Breastfeeding positions

    Annex 2. Growth monitoring and guidance on management of poor weight gain

    Annex 3. WHO conditional recommendations on micronutrient supplementation

    Annex 4. Sample KMC monitoring forms

    Annex 5. How to use a pregnancy wheel to determine if a newborn is preterm

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