Kangaroo mother care: need of the day

Each year approximately 20 million low birthweight babies are born globally. Prematurity is a leading cause of neonatal mortality in developing countries and results in 60%-80% of neonatal deaths. Neonatal mortality is the major contributor to under-5 mortality. According to Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018, neonatal mortality in Pakistan is 42 per 1000 live births and under-5 mortality is 74 per 1000 live births. One out of every 22 newborns dies in Pakistan, which is an alarming figure. Majority of these deaths are preventable. They can be prevented by well-trained midwives, safe delivery, early initiation of breast feeding within an hour after birth and skin-to-skin contact. Pakistan is among the top 10 countries with the highest number of preterm births and with limited resources to manage the burden. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a safe and economical alternative to provide preterm care in developing countries. In babies at gestational age less than 37 weeks or with neonatal weight less than 2.5 kg, skin-to-skin contact prevents hypothermia and infection. Neonatal mortality and morbidity can be reduced by providing preterm care through KMC. This case report is of a preterm baby who was delivered at 33 weeks of gestation with a weight of 1.3 kg and was saved by KMC in the paediatric department of Services Hospital in Lahore.