RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF KANGAROO MOTHER CARE FOR LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS

Good quality care of low birthweight infants could reduce neonatal mor tality in low-income countries, but the technologies used in rich coun tries are inappropriate. Kangaroo Mother Care does not need expensive and sophisticated equipment, and for its simplicity it can be applied almost everywhere, including peripheral maternity units of very low-in come countries. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) can also contribute to the humanization of neonatal care and to better bonding between mother and baby in both poor and rich countries. A group of health professionals with experience in RMC met in a workshop to discuss its effectiveness , safety, applicability and acceptability in different settings: from first and second level maternity units in settings with very limited r esources, to second and third level units in settings with limited res ources, to second and third level maternity and neonatal care units in settings with ample resources and infant mortality rates <15/1000. Th e paper summarizes the recommendations of this group of health profess ionals for the implementation of KMC in these various settings, togeth er with suggested research priorities.