[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Maternal and child nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/maternal-child/) › Kangaroo mother care # Kangaroo mother care - Safe practice Kangaroo care places the preterm or low-birth-weight baby skin to skin on the mother's chest, with breastfeeding and close follow-up. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - In Colombia it is offered to newborns under 37 weeks or under 2500 grams at birth. - Kangaroo position: skin to skin, upright between the mother's breasts and under her clothes, held with an elastic wrap. - It must be continuous, prolonged (ideally 24 hours a day, never less than 2 hours in a row) and lasting, as long as the baby needs and tolerates it. - WHO 2022: immediate kangaroo care after birth, 8 to 24 hours a day, as routine care for preterm or low-birth-weight babies. - Kangaroo contact reduces deaths, infections and hypothermia, and improves feeding. ## What it is Kangaroo mother care was born in Colombia: Dr Edgar Rey Sanabria started it in 1978 at the Instituto Materno Infantil in Bogotá, using mothers as a heat source because incubators were scarce. It rests on continuous skin-to-skin contact (the kangaroo position), exclusive breastfeeding when possible, and early discharge home with strict outpatient follow-up. In 2022 WHO recommended starting it immediately after birth, without a first period in an incubator. It complements neonatal care; it does not replace it. ## What it requires - Three components: the kangaroo position, feeding based on breast milk, and early discharge with follow-up. - The father or another relative can share the position with the mother. - To sleep, the carrier stays semi-reclined. - WHO excludes from immediate kangaroo care a baby who cannot breathe unaided after resuscitation, is in shock or is critically ill. ## Components - An elastic cloth wrap or support. - The mother, the father or another trained caregiver. - A newborn unit open to the family. - An outpatient follow-up programme through the first year of corrected age. ## How it is applied (and why) - Confirm that the baby is stable or eligible per the protocol — the method adapts to the baby's condition. - Explain the method to the mother and family and answer questions — the family will be the main caregiver. - Place the baby skin to skin, upright between the mother's breasts and under her clothes — so the baby gets the warmth of her skin. - Secure the wrap so the neck is neither bent nor overextended — keeps the airway from being blocked. - Watch colour, breathing, temperature and saturation at the start and during the position — confirms the baby tolerates it. - Support breastfeeding in the kangaroo position and avoid dummies — the position stimulates milk production. - Teach how to keep the position day and night and to sleep semi-reclined — continuity brings the benefit. - Record the hours in kangaroo position and book outpatient follow-up — this measures adherence. ## In nursing practice - When the kangaroo position is used in the delivery room, the nurse or paediatrician keeps supervision; it is not handed to the mother. - In very fragile, newly stabilised babies it can be used intermittently, in periods of at least 2 hours. - The baby shows that it no longer tolerates the position by sweating, scratching, crying or other clear signs of discomfort. - WHO asks that the family and the baby be cared for as a unit and not separated. ## Common mistakes - Leaving the baby without a wrap: the neck can bend and cause apnoea. - Interrupting the position often or for short periods. - Thinking that kangaroo care replaces monitoring or the neonatal unit. - Leaving the father or other caregivers out of the training. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Where and when was kangaroo mother care born? At the Instituto Materno Infantil in Bogotá, in 1978, started by Dr Edgar Rey Sanabria. ## What are the method's three components? The skin-to-skin kangaroo position, feeding based on breast milk, and early discharge home with strict outpatient follow-up. ## What did WHO recommend in 2022 about starting kangaroo care? Starting it immediately after birth, without a first period in an incubator, for 8 to 24 hours a day. ## Why is an elastic wrap used in the kangaroo position? To hold the baby safely and keep the neck from bending and blocking the airway. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/kangaroo-mother-care/) ## Connections ## Related 2 - [Immediate care of the newborn](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/immediate-care-of-the-newborn/) - [Breastfeeding support: latch, positions and common problems](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/breastfeeding-support-latch-positions-and-common-problems/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [WHO advises immediate skin to skin care for survival of small and preterm babies](https://www.who.int/news/item/15-11-2022-who-advises-immediate-skin-to-skin-care-for-survival-of-small-and-preterm-babies) (World Health Organization, 2022); [Actualización de los Lineamientos Técnicos para la implementación de Programas Madre Canguro en Colombia, con énfasis en la nutrición del neonato prematuro o de bajo peso al nacer](https://minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/DE/implementacion-programa-canguro.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2017). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/kangaroo-mother-care/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/kangaroo-mother-care/