KMC full form in medical term is Kangaroo Mother Care, as its name suggests, it is special care of low birth babies or preterm by placing the babies in the skin to skin contact with any caregiver or mother. Now, it has a substitute or has become the standard for technology-based care.
KMC aims to keep newborns comfortable and warm and babies away from cold stress and hypothermia. The oxygenation, heart & respiratory rates, and sleep patterns get stabilized. The care also reduces the incidence of respiratory tract and nosocomial infection, improves weight gain & emotional connection between the mother and baby, and increases milk production in mothers & exclusive breastfeeding rates.
For unwell infants, short KMC sessions may be initiated during recovery with ongoing medical treatment. A baby can be able to feed while he is on oxygen therapy or ventilation or through an orogastric tube.
A gradual skin-to-skin starts in the nursery with a gentle transition from conventional care to continuous KMC. It only lasts for 1 hour as frequent handling can be stressful for the baby. During this care period, a mother can sleep with the baby in the KMC in a semi-recumbent or an inclined position about 30 degrees from the horizontal.