WHO Launches Lifesaving Intervention for Premature and Small Babies on World Prematurity Day
The World Health Organization (WHO) is marking its inaugural World Prematurity Day by unveiling a comprehensive global clinical practice guide for Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). This innovative approach significantly enhances the survival rates of preterm and low birth weight babies, offering a simple yet powerful solution.
Each year, approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), making complications from preterm birth the leading cause of death among children under five. In the most impoverished regions, many extremely preterm babies tragically pass away within days, while in affluent nations, nearly all survive.
KMC, a method combining prolonged skin-to-skin contact and breast milk feeding, has demonstrated remarkable outcomes for small and preterm newborns. It is both feasible and cost-effective in various settings, leading to a 30% reduction in newborn deaths, a 70% decrease in hypothermia, a 15% reduction in severe infections, improved weight gain, and enhanced long-term health and cognitive development.
Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Care, emphasizes the transformative impact of KMC, stating, 'It empowers mothers and families, revolutionizing newborn care. It should be a universal clinical practice for all small and preterm babies, ensuring their best chance at survival and well-being.'
A Lifesaving Intervention for All Premature and Small Babies
The new WHO guide, tailored for health workers, facility managers, and caregivers, provides detailed, adaptable step-by-step instructions for initiating, maintaining, and monitoring KMC. It emphasizes that all preterm or low birth weight newborns should receive KMC immediately after birth, unless they require urgent treatment for respiratory issues or dangerously low blood pressure.
While mothers are typically the primary caregivers, fathers and family members can also provide KMC if the mother is unavailable, offering crucial emotional and practical support. KMC can be practiced in various health facility settings, from labor rooms to intensive care units, and can be continued at home.
The guide offers practical tips on securing the baby in the KMC position using cloth wraps, elastic binders, or specialized garments. It also highlights the importance of creating enabling environments for KMC through supportive policies and staff training, ensuring family-friendly approaches for successful implementation.
Dedicated Care for All Small and Sick Newborns
On this World Prematurity Day, with the theme 'A strong start for a hopeful future,' WHO urges governments, health systems, and partners to prioritize quality care for preterm and low birth weight babies. This entails establishing dedicated wards or facilities with specially trained neonatal staff providing round-the-clock care, as well as ensuring universal access to essential equipment and medicines like antibiotics.
Preterm babies often face challenges due to underdeveloped lungs, brains, immune systems, and temperature regulation, increasing their vulnerability to infections, hypothermia, heart problems, respiratory distress, and other life-threatening complications.
Dr. Per Ashorn, WHO's Unit Head for Newborn and Child Health and Development, emphasizes the preventable nature of these deaths, stating, 'No newborn should succumb to preventable causes. It's time to ensure every baby receives the attention they need by investing in specialized care for small or sick babies and quality maternity services to prevent preterm births.'
WHO Media Team
World Health Organization
