15 CONCEPT OF KANGAROO MOTHER CARE The concept of KMC is derived from the marsupial model of caring for newborn babies.The baby kangaroo (joey) is born just an inch in size and is cared for in the mother kangaroo’s pouch for 6-8 months till the joey becomes independent enough to live outside the pouch. Human babies are the least mature of all mammals, and the preterm baby is particularly vulnerable. KMC facilitates optimal growth and development in the safest place a baby can possibly be: close to his/her parent. In 1978, doctors in Bogotá, Colombia, were battling with overcrowding, shortage of staff, inadequate incubators, and high newborn mortality. In such a dire scenario, the doctors, based on the knowledge of how the kangaroo cares for her baby, suggested the mothers keep their babies on their chests. This served as a natural incubator. Babies were fed only their mother’s milk and discharged in KMC early to overcome the high burden in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This dramatically improved the survival of preterm babies. Since then, newer benefits of KMC are being discovered every year, and the scientific evidence on the benefits of KMC is overwhelming. Considering the numerous benefits of KMC, the World Health Organization recommends KMC for all preterm and LBW babies. Baby kangaroo (joey) grows in the mother kangaroo’s pouch for 6-8 months.
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