Premature babies all over Africa and in developing countries around the world have a greater chance of survival today thanks to the work of University of Pretoria (UP) researchers. Drs Anne-Marie Bergh, Elise van Rooyen and colleagues have been tirelessly promoting the benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care for almost 20 years, training nurses and doctors in this low-tech solution that is saving premature and low birth-weight infants.

“Globally, 35% of neonatal deaths are due to conditions related to prematurity - problems with temperature control, breathing, and the cardiovascular system,” says Bergh, who oversees education aspects of public health projects for the SA MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Healthcare Strategies at UP. “In our study, the introduction of Kangaroo Mother Care in South Africa was associated with a 30% reduction in neonatal mortality. It is now recommended by the World Health Organisation as a key intervention around the world.”

Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) was originally developed in Colombia in 1979 as a solution to overcrowding in a neonatal unit in Bogotá but was only taken up in other countries in the 90s after more than a decade of research. In essence, mothers and other caregivers are taught to carry their babies skin-to-skin, between the breasts, for 20 or more hours per day. This helps the baby maintain a regular temperature, enhances breastfeeding and dramatically improves a baby’s chance of survival.

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