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Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 2015 Dec 3;94(2):130–141J. doi: 10.2471/BLT.15.157818

Kangaroo mother care: a systematic review of barriers and enablers

La méthode «mère kangourou»: examen systématique des obstacles et des aides

El método madre canguro: una revisión sistemática de barreras y facilitadores

رعاية الأم لوليدها على طريقة الكنغر: مراجعة منهجية للعوائق والعوامل المساعدة

袋鼠妈妈式护理:障碍和促进因素的系统评价

Метод «кенгуру»: систематический обзор барьеров и способствующих факторов

Grace J Chan a,, Amy S Labar a, Stephen Wall b, Rifat Atun a
PMCID: PMC4750435  PMID: 26908962

Abstract

Objective

To investigate factors influencing the adoption of kangaroo mother care in different contexts.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the World Health Organization’s regional databases, for studies on “kangaroo mother care” or “kangaroo care” or “skin-to-skin care” from 1 January 1960 to 19 August 2015, without language restrictions. We included programmatic reports and hand-searched references of published reviews and articles. Two independent reviewers screened articles and extracted data on carers, health system characteristics and contextual factors. We developed a conceptual model to analyse the integration of kangaroo mother care in health systems.

Findings

We screened 2875 studies and included 112 studies that contained qualitative data on implementation. Kangaroo mother care was applied in different ways in different contexts. The studies show that there are several barriers to implementing kangaroo mother care, including the need for time, social support, medical care and family acceptance. Barriers within health systems included organization, financing and service delivery. In the broad context, cultural norms influenced perceptions and the success of adoption.

Conclusion

Kangaroo mother care is a complex intervention that is behaviour driven and includes multiple elements. Success of implementation requires high user engagement and stakeholder involvement. Future research includes designing and testing models of specific interventions to improve uptake.

Introduction

More than 2.7 million newborns die each year, accounting for 44% of children dying before the age of five years worldwide. Complications of preterm birth are the leading cause of death among newborns.1 Kangaroo mother care can include early and continuous skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, early discharge from the health-care facility and supportive care.2 The clinical efficacy and health benefits of kangaroo mother care have been demonstrated in multiple settings. In low birthweight newborns (< 2000 g) who are clinically stable, kangaroo mother care reduces mortality and if widely applied could reduce deaths in preterm newborns.3,4 However, in spite of the evidence, country-level adoption and implementation of kangaroo mother care has been limited and global coverage remains low. Few studies have examined the reasons for the poor uptake of kangaroo mother care.

To understand factors influencing adoption of kangaroo mother care in different contexts, we did a systematic review. We created a narrative analysis of the articles and reports identified, guided by a conceptual framework5 with five elements: (i) the problem being addressed – neonatal mortality; (ii) the intervention or innovation aimed at addressing the problem; (iii) the adoption system – those implementing the intervention, those benefiting from it and those affected by it; (iv) the health system – organization, financing and service delivery; and (v) the broad context – demographic, epidemiological, political, economic and sociocultural factors. These five elements interact to influence the extent, pattern and rate of adoption of interventions in health systems.5

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, African Index Medicus (AIM), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), Index Medicus for the South-East Asian Region (IMSEAR) and Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRIM) without language restrictions, from 1 January 1960 to 19 August 2015 using the search terms “kangaroo mother care” or “kangaroo care” or “skin-to-skin care.” We excluded studies without human subjects or without primary data collection. We screened studies for inclusion if they discussed barriers to kangaroo mother care implementation or enablers for successful implementation. Our population of interest included mothers, newborns or mother-newborn dyads who had practiced kangaroo mother care, and health-care providers, health facilities, communities and health systems that have implemented such care. We hand-searched the reference lists of published systematic reviews and references of the included articles. To search the grey literature for unpublished studies, we explored programmatic reports and requested data from programmes implementing kangaroo mother care.

Two reviewers independently extracted data from identified articles using standardized forms to identify potential determinants of kangaroo mother care uptake, including data on knowledge, attitudes and practices. Reviewers compared their results to reach consensus and ties were broken by a third party. To assess study quality, we evaluated each study in five quality domains: selection bias, appropriateness of data collection, appropriateness of data analysis, generalizability and ethical considerations.6

A deductive approach was used to fit the outputs of the analysis to the elements of the conceptual framework and explore emerging themes.7 Using the qualitative analytical software NVivo (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia), two researchers indexed and annotated the data through several rounds of coding to analyse themes, viewpoints, ideas and experiences. Once major themes were established, we constructed narratives and categorized the data into matrices by theme. We highlighted quotes that summarized multiple perspectives from the articles. Narratives and matrices were used to define specific concepts and explore associations between themes.

Themes were explored at each level of implementation (mothers, fathers and families; health-care workers; facilities). We examined the interactions between implementers and described health system characteristics that could influence the uptake of kangaroo mother care.

Results

Of the 2875 papers identified, we included 112 studies with qualitative data on barriers to and enablers of kangaroo mother care (Fig. 1). Most of the studies were published between 2010 and 2015 (66; 59%) and had less than 50 participants (67; 60%). Nearly half of the studies were surveys or interviews (50; 45%). Forty studies (36%) were conducted in the WHO Region of the Americas; 29 (26%) in WHO African Region; 64 (57%) in countries with low neonatal mortality, defined as less than 15 deaths per 1000 live births;8 48 (43%) in urban settings; and 67 (60%) at health facilities. Many studies did not include neonatal characteristics such as gestational age (68; 61%) or weight (75; 67%; Table 1). The majority (68; 60%) of the studies appropriately addressed at least four of the five quality domains.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Flowchart showing the selection of studies on kangaroo mother care (KMC)

Table 1. Characteristics of included studies in the systematic review on kangaroo mother care.

Study characteristic No. (%) of studies (n = 112)
Year
2015915 7 (6)
2010 to 20141675 59 (53)
2000 to 200976115 40 (36)
1988 to 1999116120 5 (5)
No. of participants
< 501012,14,15,17,22,2426,2831,33,35,36,3941,45,47,50,52,53,5557,59,60,63,64,67,69,72,74,77,79,80,8387,8997,99103,106,108,110112,114,115,117 66 (59)
50 to < 10013,16,20,21,27,32,37,4244,51,66,68,71,118,120 15 (13)
100 to < 20023,46,48,54,61,65,73,78,82,88,104,105,107,109 15 (13)
≥ 2009,18,19,34,38,49,58,62,70,75,76,81,98,113,116,119 16 (14)
Study type
Survey or interview1114,16,18,21,28,29,32,33,35,3945,4852,58,63,64,66,69,72,74,75,77,79,87,8991,9497,101,102,106,107,111,114,115,117 50 (45)
Facilities’ evaluation24,25,27,31,34,47,5355,57,59,60,67,80,82,83,100,108,113 19 (17)
Randomized control trial9,10,37,61,68,76,99,103,105,110,112,119 12 (11)
Cohort study23,56,81,92,116 5 (4)
Other (chart review, case control, surveillance)15,17,19,20,22,26,30,36,38,46,62,65,70,71,78,8486,88,98,104,109,118,120 24 (21)
Pre-post73 1 (1)
Interventional trial93 1 (1)
WHO region
Americas12,21,28,3337,4244,50,52,56,63,65,7175,8491,94,97,101,106,108,112115,119,120 40 (36)
African911,16,17,20,2326,29,47,51,55,5860,68,8083,92,96,99,100,102,110,116 29 (26)
European1315,3841,45,48,49,53,54,64,66,70,95,104,107,118 19 (17)
South-East Asia18,19,22,30,32,67,76,77,93,98,103,109 12 (11)
Eastern Mediterranean46,61,62,69 4 (3)
Western Pacific31,78,105,111 4 (3)
Multiple regions27,57,79 3 (3)
Missing117 1 (1)
Country-level neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1000 live birth)
< 514,15,3645,48,49,5254,56,6366,70,71,82,94,95,104108,111113,120 36 (32)
5 to < 1512,21,28,3335,46,50,58,59,61,62,69,74,75,8491,97,101,114,115,119 28 (25)
15 to < 30911,1619,2226,29,30,32,47,51,5760,68,7678,8083,93,98100,102,103,109,110 37 (33)
≥ 30 50, 57, 88 4 (4)
Missing13,20,27,31,73,79,117 7 (6)
Setting
Urban17,23,28,33,35,36,38,39,41,43,44,49,50,52,56,60,61,63,6567,72,77,78,80,81,87,8992,96,97,100102,105,106,108,109,111,114120 48 (43)
Urban and rural19,34,42,58,62,70,75,79,84,85,88,99,104,110,113 15 (13)
Rural16,21,51,68,76,98 6 (5)
Missing915,18,20,22,2427,2932,37,40,4548,5355,57,59,64,69,71,73,74,82,83,86,9395,103,107,112 43 (38)
Population source
Health facility10,11,13,14,16,17,2330,3336,41,46,47,49,50,52,5557,5961,64,67,6971,75,76,7892,94,96,97,99,100,102,106,108,110,113116,118,119 67 (60)
Neonatal intensive care unit or stepdown unit12,15,22,31,3740,4245,48,53,54,63,65,66,7274,93,95,103105,107,109,111,112,117,120 32 (28)
Community or population-based surveillance9,18,19,21,32,51,58,62,68,77,98,101 12 (11)
Missing20 1 (1)
Gestational age
Preterm 34 to < 37 weeks15,16,35,50,72,84,87,97,102,114,117,118,120 13 (12)
All gestational ages9,10,19,36,38,39,58,62,68,76,77,98 12 (11)
Very preterm < 34 weeks40,48,6365,70,95,101,112 9 (8)
Mixed preterm and very preterm < 37 weeks33,37,89,90,94,109 6 (5)
Full term ≥ 37 weeks41,49,61,71 4 (3)
Missing1114,17,18,2032,34,4247,5157,59,60,66,67,69,7375,7883,85,86,88,9193,96,99,100,103108,110,111,113,115,116,119 68 (61)
Birthweight
Low birthweight 1500 to < 2500 g33,50,51,72,80,81,85,88,91,93,96,116,119 13 (12)
All birthweights9,10,19,36,38,39,48,58,62,68,76,77,98 13 (12)
Mixed low and very low birthweight < 2500 g17,23,90,92,101,109,120 7 (6)
Very low birthweight < 1500 g78,89,103,105 4 (3)
Missing1116,18,2022,2432,34,35,37,4047,49,5257,5961,6367,6971,7375,79,8284,86,87,94,95,97,99,100,102,104,106108,110115,117,118 75 (67)

WHO: World Health Organization.

Note: Inconsistencies arise in some values due to rounding.

Conceptual framework

Problem

The narrative synthesis of the studies showed that the burden of death and disability of newborns was acknowledged as an important problem.911,1632,7683

Intervention

The included studies revealed that kangaroo mother care is a complex intervention with several possible components – skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, early discharge and follow-up (Table 2). The included components varied across locations and by individual implementer.

Table 2. Descriptions of kangaroo mother care in studies included in the systematic review.
Characteristic Common theme Less common theme Quotation
Duration skin-to-skin contact As long as possible
24 hours/day
Early/prolonged/continuous
2 hours or more per day
To begin once newborn had stabilized
During breastfeeding
Less than 24 hours/day
To begin immediately after birth
To begin 24 hours after birth
“Kangaroo mother care is defined as early, prolonged and continuous (or as far as circumstances permit) skin-to-skin care between the low birthweight infant and mother.”39
Extended duration skin-to-skin contact As long as possible
As long as circumstances permit
Until newborn weight of 2500 g
First month of life
Until 24 hours after birth
Until 37 weeks post menstrual age
“Mothers were instructed to continue kangaroo position at least until the baby reached 2500 g.”116
Breastfeeding Exclusive
On demand
Breastfeeding encouraged
Breastfeeding would begin only after skin-to-skin contact had been completed for a given period of time
Kangaroo mother care integrated as part of a larger breastfeeding package
Discharge after breastfeeding established
Breastfeeding only after suturing and skin-to-skin contact had been completed
“Exclusive breastfeeding wherever possible and early discharge from the health facility when breastfeeding has been established.”88
Newborn clothing Blanket cover
Naked
Diaper
Cap
Booties
“Undressed except for a diaper and was covered with the mother’s gown and a baby sheet.”93
Newborn position Sleeping upright
Vertical against chest
Between mother’s breasts skin-to-skin contact
Held after being removed from incubator
Prone
Upright
On adult’s chest
On mother’s or father’s chest
Vertical under clothes
Prone position
Against mother’s chest
“The baby is kept upright, close to the chest of the adult.”84
Bathing Clean baby with damp or dry cloth Dry infant after birth “The routines included quickly drying the newborn immediately after birth and then placing it naked (skin-to-skin) on the mother’s chest.”41
Caregiver clothing Open gown
Wrap (cloth or blanket)
Dupatta
Specialized kangaroo mother care bra
“Held in position by using innovations like dupatta (stole), sports bra, loose blouse or a specially designed sling.”109
Caregiver position Upright
Prone
Inclined
Seated in chair
Walking around
“Skin-to-skin contact prone or semi-upright position.”101
Early discharge Early discharge (undefined)
Early discharge based on clinical conditions
Infant weight gain, mother competency in kangaroo mother care
Skin-to-skin contact encouraged before discharge
Discharge after breastfeeding established
“Discharge when the mother shows an appropriate level of infant-handling competency and the infant is gaining weight.”33
Follow-up Follow up (undefined)
Adequate follow-up
Within the facility at:
1−2 weeks
1–6 months
1 year
As part of Brazilian Ministry of Health guidelines:
Week 1: 3 times (home)
Week 2: 2 times (home)
Week 3: 1 time (home)
“With a proper follow-up system in place for regular review of the infant.”90

Note: The quotes were concise examples of common themes found across many articles.

The promotion of skin-to-skin contact for as long as possible once the newborn was stabilized emerged as a common theme in several studies.3335,8491,116 However, there was limited information on the recommended frequency and duration of skin-to-skin contact and the specific criteria for stopping skin-to-skin contact.31,3638,89,92,93,117

Implementation

The complexity of kangaroo mother care and lack of a standardized operational definition makes it challenging to implement. Implementation of kangaroo mother care can be considered at three levels: (i) mothers, fathers and families; (ii) health-care workers; and (iii) facilities. The location of facilities and the resources available determine whether kangaroo mother care takes place in the health facility or at home.18,27,33

Mothers, fathers and families were usually the primary caregivers of preterm newborns and involved in decision-making and practice of care.11,16,94,95,117 Health-care workers were critical for implementation in hospitals or health facilities. Their main role was to educate the parents about kangaroo mother care.

We identified six major themes concerning barriers and enablers for implementation of kangaroo mother care: (i) buy-in and bonding; (ii) social support; (iii) time; (iv) medical concerns; (v) access and (vi) context (Table 3).

Table 3. Summary of enablers and barriers to implementation of kangaroo mother care.
Level of implementation Adoption systems
Health systems access Context, cultural norms
Buy-in and bonding Social support Access Medical concerns
Parents
Enablers Calming, natural, instinctive, healing for parents and infant Father, health-care worker, family and community support for mothers and fathers was crucial to success of kangaroo mother care Kangaroo mother care at home allowed parents to perform other duties Helped mothers recover emotionally Belief that kangaroo mother care was cheaper than incubator care Mother preferred kangaroo mother care to incubator, inspired confidence
Gender equality
Barriers Stigma, shame, kangaroo mother care felt forced Fear, guilt, discomfort of family members to participate or condone kangaroo mother care in public
Privacy
Caregivers were unable to devote time
Mothers lonely in kangaroo mother care ward
Maternal fatigue and pain Associated costs
Transport
Traditional, bathing, carrying and breastfeeding practices did not always align with kangaroo mother care guidelines
Health-care workers
Enablers Nurses more likely to use kangaroo mother care after seeing positive effects.
Support from more experienced nurses improved buy-in
Management promotion of kangaroo mother care
Role of parents and other health-care workers
Kangaroo mother care did not increase workload Temperature stability.
Experienced nurses more comfortable with kangaroo mother care
Virtual communication and training.
Integration of kangaroo mother care into health-care curriculum
None
Barriers Nurses fail to have strong belief in importance of kangaroo mother care
Inconsistent knowledge and application of kangaroo mother care
Management did not prioritize kangaroo mother care
Parents could serve as a hindrance to health-care worker
Extra workload
Takes away time from other patients
Nurses did not feel kangaroo mother care appropriate for infants who they felt were too small/young/ill Difficulty finding time for training
Inadequate/inconsistent training
Traditional protocols interfered (bathing, carrying)
Nurse excluding father from infant care was a cultural norm
Facilities
Enablers Leadership
Management support
Staffing support
Good communication
Use of committees to advocate for kangaroo mother care
Unlimited visitation preferred Access to private space including family rooms or privacy screen. Higher breast milk feeding rates at discharge when breast feeding was allowed and encouraged throughout the hospital Access to structural resources
Quiet atmosphere within facilities allows mothers to rest
Breast milk banks provide milk and can be an educational tool among mothers
Reporting and data
Collection of data
Use of performance standards and quality improvement measures
Site assessment tools
Barriers Leadership lack of buy-in led to lack of adequate resources Staffing shortages, high staff and leadership turnover
Staff resisted changing protocols
There was limited visitation time due to staff shortages Disagreement over clinical stability
Facilities did not provide food for mothers
Only low birthweight infants received kangaroo mother care in some locations
Lack of money at the facility for mother’s transportation
Distance to the hospital for mothers without hospital-provided transportation
Lack of space and privacy for mothers to do kangaroo mother care
Lack of money for transportation, beds and kangaroo mother care wrappers
Poor management of resources donated to the hospital
Lack of use of data to document skin-to-skin contact practised on electronic medical record
Nurses not given feedback on kangaroo mother care data collected
Visitation policies sometimes prevented mothers from performing skin-to-skin contact continuously. Staff found visitors get in the way.

Buy-in and bonding

Buy-in and bonding refer to the acceptance of kangaroo mother care, belief in the benefits of such care to mothers and preterm or low birthweight infants and reported perceptions of bonding. Fear, stigma and/or anxiety about having a preterm infant impaired the care process. Mothers felt shame or guilt for having a preterm infant96,97 and some did not want to keep their baby.16

Positive perceptions of the potential benefits of kangaroo mother care for caregivers and for newborns among mothers, fathers and families promoted uptake. Studies used words such as relaxed, calm, happy, natural, instinctive and safe to describe the bonding process that mothers and fathers reported during and after kangaroo mother care.35,39,40,94,95,98 Mothers observed their newborns sleeping longer during skin-to-skin contact; infants were described as less anxious, more restful, more willing to breastfeed and happier than when in an incubator.41,121

A lack of belief in kangaroo mother care and limited knowledge of such care restricted its uptake among health-care workers.39,4245 In some facilities, there was reluctance by management to allocate dedicated space to kangaroo mother care or to rearrange staffing schedules to allow for supervision of kangaroo mother care.12,16,22,25,29,36,46,82,99,122 Facility leadership had high turnover as leaders trained in kangaroo mother care frequently left for better positions.25,27,29,42,47,82,99,100,123 On the other hand, facilities that had successfully implemented kangaroo mother care reported support from management and good communication among the staff.24,42

Social support

Social support refers to assistance received from other people to perform kangaroo mother care. While practicing kangaroo mother care, both mothers and fathers did not feel supported by their families or communities.35,96 Mothers experienced a lack of support from health-care workers. In settings like Zimbabwe, fathers voiced unease about performing kangaroo mother care because of societal norms that childcare should be the role of the mother.79,96 In contrast, among mothers, fathers and families, uptake was promoted by societal acceptance of paternal participation in childcare, by family and community acceptance of kangaroo mother care and by the presence of engaged health-care workers.32,48 In societies where gender roles were more equal (e.g. Scandinavian countries), there were fewer barriers to fathers performing kangaroo mother care.48,49 Paternal involvement played a large role in uptake – either by division of labour or by helping the mother feel comfortable. In Brazil, mothers were grateful to have someone help them during kangaroo mother care, such as grandmothers and sisters, who could take care of housework and help with the newborn.101 Within the maternity ward, peer support from other mothers through sharing their kangaroo mother care experiences also helped promote acceptance.79,102

When institutional leadership did not prioritize kangaroo mother care, health-care workers were less motivated to practice or teach it,42,44 but felt empowered to do so when management allowed for roles in decision-making, promoted kangaroo mother care or mobilized resources for it.24 Staffing shortages and staff turnover created barriers to implementation of kangaroo mother care within a facility.42 By contrast, effective coordination of and communication between staff helped facilitate implementation.82

Time

The time needed to provide kangaroo mother care was a potential barrier for mothers, fathers and families, due to responsibilities at home and work and time needed for commuting, preventing them from devoting the time needed for continuous and extended kangaroo mother care.16,39,41,50,79,91,102 Conversely, practice of such care at home promoted its uptake.92 High workload of health-care workers did not allow sufficient time to dedicate to teaching kangaroo mother care, which further increased workload, especially in facilities with staffing shortages.78,79,103

One study showed that uptake of kangaroo mother care increased with expansion of visiting hours at health facilities.104

Medical concerns

Clinical conditions of the mother and/or newborn may prevent kangaroo mother care from occurring. The medical effects of delivery for mothers, including fatigue, depression and postpartum pain, especially after a caesarean section, can reduce uptake of kangaroo mother care.48,51,52,77,98 Particularly for very preterm or unstable infants, concern about potential adverse consequences, such as fear of dislocation of intravenous lines, was an obstacle to kangaroo mother care.38,53,54 Knowledge that kangaroo mother care supported newborns in stabilizing their temperatures, helped with breathing and promoted mother–child bonding, encouraged its use.118

Access

While parents believed that kangaroo mother care was less costly than incubator care,96 lack of money for transportation and the distance to hospital were often reported as the biggest challenges55,81,82,105 as were low resources for newborn-care services.82 Lack of private space for mothers to perform kangaroo mother care and to remain in the hospital with the newborn hindered its uptake,24,25 as did allocation of resources intended for kangaroo mother care to other programmes.24 Uptake improved with transportation for mothers not staying at the hospital, wrappers to hold the baby, furniture/beds where mothers could conduct kangaroo mother care, rooms where mothers could spend the night with the baby,24,48 private spaces and dedicated resources.40,106

Without uniform knowledge and protocols within a facility, health-care workers were uncomfortable promoting kangaroo mother care.16,27,42,99,107 In-service training82,100 of health-care workers enhanced kangaroo mother care implementation.56 Virtual communication and training, often within facilities, allowed more nurses to be trained in kangaroo mother care despite busy schedules and staffing shortages.36 Expanding training to other health-care personnel, such as administrators and interns, also enabled care. Many nurses reported that integration of kangaroo mother care into pre-service and training curricula was beneficial.36,57

Context

Sociocultural context and sociocultural constructs of gender and roles of parents in childcare, men in the household and other family members influenced uptake.79,85,96 Parental and familial adherence to traditional newborn practices was reported as a barrier to kangaroo mother care.105 Traditional practices of early bathing and wrapping infants soon after birth were ingrained behaviours in many cultures that were difficult to change, even after training.16,58 In areas in which carrying the baby on the back was common, it seemed strange to place the baby on the front.23 In some contexts, it was considered unclean to have the mother carry the baby on her chest without a diaper.79

Please refer to the supplementary Table 4 (available at: http://www.who.int/volumes/94/2/15-157818) for full details of the included studies.

Table 4. Description of studies included in the systematic review on kangaroo mother care .
Author, year Country Rural or urban Study design Sample size Newborn characteristics Kangaroo mother care components Onset of skin-to-skin care Provision of kangaroo mother care
Barriers and facilitators
Hours per day Days Caregivers Health-care workers Facilities Policies and guidelines
Abul-Fadl, 201262 Egypt Mixed Pop based surveillance, facility evaluation 1052 mothers All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A Xa X X a
Aliganyira, 201429 Uganda Mixed Facility evaluation, focus group/interview 11 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Alves, 200784 Brazil Mixed Chart review, focus group/ interview 33 dyads Premature; N/A cut-off N/A Once eligible: N/A definition N/A N/A X
de Araújo, 201033 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 30 parents Premature, ≥ 2000 g N/A Once eligible: N/A definition 5–6 N/A X X X
Arivabene, 201028 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 13 mothers N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Bazzano, 201251 Ghana Rural Focus group/ interview 9 mothers, 23 health-care workers Low birthweight;
N/A cut-off
Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Bergh, 201359 Ghana N/A Facility evaluation 38 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding, Immediately after birth N/A N/A X X X X
Bergh, 2003100 South Africa Urban Facility evaluation 2 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Bergh, 201267 Indonesia Urban Facility evaluation 10 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Bergh, 200899 South Africa Mixed Randomized controlled trial 36 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Bergh, 201226 Ghana N/A Pop based surveillance, facility evaluation 38 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Bergh, 200983 Ghana N/A Facility evaluation 4 regions (out of 10) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Bergh, 201225 Malawi N/A Facility evaluation 14 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Bergh, 201255 Mali N/A Facility evaluation 7 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding, discharge, follow-up N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Bergh, 200782 Malawi N/A Facility evaluation 6 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Bergh, 201247 Rwanda N/A Facility evaluation 7 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Bergh, 201224 Uganda N/A Facility evaluation 11 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Bergh, 201427 Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, and Uganda Urban Facility evaluation, Focus group/interview 39 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Blencowe, 200981 Malawi Urban Prospective cohort 272 newborns < 2000 g N/A Once eligible: N/A definition N/A N/A X X
Blencowe, 200580 Malawi Urban Facility evaluation 1 facility < 2000 g Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding, discharge, follow-up N/A N/A N/A X
Blomqvist, 201348 Sweden N/A Focus group/ interview 76 mothers, 74 fathers 28–33 weeks, 740–2920 g Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Blomqvist, 201139 Sweden Urban Focus group/ interview 23 dyads All ages Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding N/A N/A N/A X X X
Boo, 2007105 Malaysia Urban Randomized controlled trial 126 dyads < 1501 g Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: N/A definition 1 10 X X X
Brimdyr, 201269 Egypt N/A Focus group/ interview 40 nurses and health-care workers N/A Skin-to-skin care Immediately after birth 1 1 X X X
Calais, 201049 Sweden, Norway Urban Focus group/ interview 117 mothers, 107 fathers Full term Skin-to-skin care, discharge, follow-up Immediately after birth N/A N/A X X
Castiblanco López, 201150 Colombia Urban Focus group/ interview 8 mothers < 36 weeks, 2320 g N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Charpak, 200679 15 developing countries Mixed Focus group/ interview 17 kangaroo mother care co-ordinators, 15 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care, discharge, follow-up Immediately after birth N/A N/A X X X
Chia, 2006111 Australia Urban Focus group/ interview 34 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Chisenga, 201511 Malawi Urban Focus group/ interview 113 mothers N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Colameo, 200685 Brazil Mixed Cross sectional 28 facilities Low birthweight; N/A cut-off N/A Once eligible: N/A definition N/A N/A X X X
Cooper, 201473 United States of America Mixed Pre-post 48 nurses and 101 parents N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Crenshaw, 201271 United States of America N/A Descriptive 261 dyads Full term Skin-to-skin care ≤ 2 mins after birth N/A 1 X X X
Dalal, 201430 India Mixed Cross sectional 145 HCPs N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Dalbye, 201141 Sweden, Norway Urban Focus group/ interview 20 mothers Full term Skin-to-skin care Immediately after birth N/A N/A X X
Darmstadt, 200698 India Rural Intervention 2063 mothers All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
De Vonderweid, 2003104 Italy Mixed Pop based surveillance 109 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Duarte, 200197 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 1 mother Premature; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A 38 X X
Eichel, 2001108 United States of America Urban Facility evaluation 1 facility N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Eleutério, 2008114 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 9 mothers Premature; N/A cut-off N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Engler, 2002113 United States of America Mixed Facility evaluation 537 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Ferrarello, 201452 United States of America Urban Focus group/ interview 15 mothers, 14 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Flynn, 201066 Ireland Urban Focus group/ interview 62 health-care workers N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Freitas, 200786 Brazil N/A Prospective cohort, descriptive 22 newborns N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Furlan, 200387 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 10 parents Premature; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: N/A definition 10; mean N/A X X X
Gontijo, 201034 Brazil Mixed Facility evaluation 293 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding Once eligible: N/A definition N/A N/A X
Gontijo, 201275 Brazil Mixed Focus group/ interview 293 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Gonya, 201363 United States of America Urban Focus group/ interview 32 mothers < 27 weeks Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Haxton, 201236 United States of America Urban Intervention, qualitative 30 mothers All ages Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding Within one hour after birth 3 1 X X X X
Heinemann, 201340 Sweden N/A Focus group/ interview 7 mothers, 6 fathers < 27 weeks Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Hendricks-Muñoz, 201044 United States of America Urban Focus group/ interview 59 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Hendricks-Muñoz, 201365 United States of America Urban Focus group/ interview 143 mothers, 42 health-care workers < 34 weeks N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Hendricks-Muñoz, 201456 United States of America Urban Prospective cohort 30 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Hennig, 200688 Brazil Mixed Cross sectional 148 doctors and nurses, 11 facilities Low birthweight; N/A cut-off N/A Clinical stable N/A N/A X X X
Higman, 201513 England Urban Focus group/ interview 6 nurses and 51 clinicians N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Hill, 201058 Ghana Mixed Focus group/ interview 635 mothers, 14 villages All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Hunter, 201432 Bangladesh Rural Focus group/ interview 121 participants N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Ibe, 200492 Nigeria Urban Crossover 13 newborns, 11 mothers and female relatives 1200–1999 g Skin-to-skin care After enrolment 12 N/A X
Johnson, 2007106 United States of America Peri-urban/slum Focus group/ interview 17 nurses N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Johnston, 201137 Canada N/A Randomized controlled trial crossover 62 newborns 28–36 weeks Skin-to-skin care ≥ 15 minute before heel lance ≤ 1 2 X
Kambarami, 200296 Zimbabwe Urban Focus group/ interview N/A mothers Low birthweight: N/A cut-off N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Keshavarz, 201061 Islamic Republic of Iran Urban Randomized controlled trial 160 dyads Full term Skin-to-skin care 2 hours after caesarean 3 N/A X
Kostandy, 2008112 United States of America N/A Randomized controlled trial crossover 10 newborns 30–32 weeks Skin-to-skin care 30 minute before heel stick 0.83 1 X
Kymre, 201345 Sweden, Norway, Denmark N/A Focus group/ interview 18 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Lee, 201242 United States of America Mixed Focus group/ interview 69 health-care providers, 11 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Legault, 1995120 Canada Urban Randomized controlled trial, pre-post, crossover 61 dyads Premature: N/A cut-off 1000–1800 g Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: N/A definition 0.5 1 X
Lemmen, 201364 Sweden N/A Focus group/ interview 12 families 24–35 weeks Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Leonard, 2008102 South Africa Urban Focus group/ interview 6 parents Premature: N/A cut-off N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Lincetto, 1998116 Mozambique Urban Prospective cohort 246 newborns < 2000 g Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding, discharge, follow-up Stabilized health condition, presence of a sucking reflex, thermoregulation, mother's condition enabling her to care for the low birthweight infant, cessation of the infant's need for IV therapy, oxygen, photo-therapy or feeding by NG tube > 20 N/A X X X
Maastrup, 201253 Denmark N/A Facility evaluation 19 facilities N/A Skin-to-skin care 18 out of 19 within 24 hour postpartum for stable preterm infant N/A N/A X
Mallet, 2007107 France N/A Focus group/ interview 121 doctors and paramedical staff N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Martins, 2008115 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 5 mothers N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
McMaster, 200078 Papua New Guinea Urban Chart review, facility evaluation 109 newborns < 1500 g Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Moreira, 2009101 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 8 mothers 30–32 weeks, < 2000 g Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: N/A definition N/A N/A X
Mörelius, 201515 Sweden Urban Survey 129 nurses All newborns N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Mörelius, 201270 Sweden Mixed Pop based surveillance 520 newborns < 27 weeks Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Nahidi, 201446 Islamic Republic of Iran Urban Questionnaire 292 midwives N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Namazzi, 201510 Uganda Rural Randomized controlled trial 20 health facilities All newborns Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Neu, 1999117 N/A Urban Focus group/ interview 8 mothers, 1 father Premature; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care N/A 1 2 X X X
Nguah, 201123 Ghana Urban Prospective cohort 195 dyads 1000–2000 g Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding, follow-up After admission in hospital and if mother was willing N/A N/A X
Niela–Vilén, 201338 Finland Urban Prospective cohort, qualitative 170 mothers, 381 staff All NICU newborns N/A Immediately after birth N/A N/A X X
Nimbalkar, 201422 India Urban Questionnaire 52 paediatricians N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Nyqvist, 200895 Sweden N/A Focus group/ interview 13 mothers < 32 weeks Skin-to-skin care, discharge, follow-up N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Parmar, 2009109 India Urban Retrospective cohort 135 newborns 26–37 weeks, 550–2500 g Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X
Pattinson, 2005110 South Africa Mixed Randomized controlled trial 34 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Priya, 200493 India N/A Crossover 30 dyads Low birthweight; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care After routine care was observed and data were collected 2 2 X
Quasem, 200377 Bangladesh Urban Focus group/ interview 35 mothers All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Ramanathan 2001103 India N/A Randomized controlled trial 28 newborns < 1500 g N/A Once eligible: N/A definition ≥ 4 N/A X X
Roller, 200594 United States of America N/A Focus group/ interview 10 mothers 32–37 weeks Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Sá, 201035 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 10 mothers, 7 health-care providers Premature; N/A cut-off N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Sacks, 201321 Honduras Rural Focus group/ interview 48–72 traditional birthing attendant (6 focus groups with 8–12 participants per group) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Santos, 201372 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 12 mothers Premature, low birthweight; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Shamba, 201420 United Republic of Tanzania Mixed Focus group/ interview 57 mothers and 14 traditional birthing attendants N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Silva, 201474 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 20 nursing technicians N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Silva, 201512 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 8 nurses N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Silva, 200889 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 5 dyads Premature: N/A cut-off, < 1000–1550 g Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: N/A definition ≤ 24 Depended on mothers length of stay X
Singh, 201219 India Mixed Case control 145 662 newborns, 810 204 mothers All ages N/A N/A N/A N/A X
Sinha, 201418 India Rural Focus group/ interview 320 mothers, 61 accredited social health activists, 19 home visits N/A Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding N/A N/A N/A X X
Sloan, 200876 Bangladesh Rural Cluster randomized controlled trial 39 888 mothers All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A 2; data available for first 2 days of life X X
Solomons, 201217 South Africa Urban Cross sectional 30 mothers, 15 nurses < 2500 g N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Stikes, 201343 United States of America Urban Focus group/ interview 56 nurses N/A Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Strand, 201454 Sweden N/A Facility evaluation 126 staff N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Tessier, 1998119 Colombia Urban Randomized controlled trial 488 newborns < 2001 g Skin-to-skin care, discharge, follow-up Adapted to extra-uterine life and able to breastfeed N/A N/A X
Toma, 200390 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 14 mothers, 7 fathers Premature: N/A cut-off, 1150–2300 g N/A Ranged from 3 to 39 days of life N/A N/A X
Toma, 200791 Brazil Urban Focus group/ interview 41 mothers < 2000 g N/A Mean 18 days of life N/A N/A X X
Undefined author: Save the Children, 201157 Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Bolivia, Indonesia, Nepal, Viet Nam N/A Facility evaluation 12 countries N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X X
Vesel, 201368 Ghana Rural Cluster randomized controlled trial 98 zones All ages Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X
Wahlberg, 1992118 Sweden Urban Retrospective cohort 66 dyads Premature; N/A cut-off Skin-to-skin care N/A N/A N/A X X
Waiswa, 201016 Uganda Rural Focus group/ interview 30 health-care workers and mothers, 16 facilities Premature; N/A cut-off N/A N/A N/A N/A X X X
Waiswa, 20159 Uganda Rural Cluster randomized controlled trial 395 women All newborns Skin-to-skin care, exclusive breastfeeding N/A N/A N/A X
Wobil, 201060 Ghana Urban Facility evaluation 2 facilities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X
Zhang, 201431 Singapore Urban Facility evaluation 1 ICU Less than 34 weeks; Less than 1500 g Skin-to-skin care Once eligible: stable preterm or low birthweight babies, excluding infants with poor respiratory status, invasive lines, or parents who are depressed, not willing to do kangaroo mother care, having infectious skin disease on chest, unfit physically, or with flu-like symptoms. At least 1 hour several times per day N/A X X X
Zwedberg, 201514 Sweden Urban Focus group/ interview 8 midwives N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A X X

a ‘X means included in the study and ‘–’ means not included in the study.

ICU: intensive care unit; N/A: not available; NICU: neonatal intensive care unit.

Discussion

The core components of kangaroo mother care are skin-to-skin contact and feeding support. Additional features such as the frequency and location of early-discharge and follow-up depend on the context.57,98 Multiple factors influence the uptake of kangaroo mother care. To support the implementation of kangaroo mother care, context-specific materials such as guidelines, behaviour change materials, training curriculums, and job aids are needed. Simple interventions are more likely to be generalizable to a range of different contexts.5 When designing kangaroo mother care interventions, contextual factors and sociocultural norms need to be taken into account.

The stresses and stigma associated with having a preterm infant can hinder buy-in and support from parents and families for practicing kangaroo mother care. This problem is compounded by a lack of knowledge about kangaroo mother care among parents, families and health-care workers. Clear articulation of the benefits of kangaroo mother care for mothers and for newborns, creation of a community among parents, caregivers and health-care workers and engagement of fathers in childcare can help overcome these barriers. Collaboration among health-care workers, with shared goals and team commitments, partnering inexperienced nurses with nurses experienced in kangaroo mother care can also help.42,106,108

There are substantial barriers to kangaroo mother care within health systems, especially financing and service delivery. Dedicated financing for kangaroo mother care is critical for it to be seriously considered and implemented. Funding should consider creation of suitable environments (beds, wraps, chairs and private spaces), reducing burden of transport costs to mothers, home visits by community health workers and training parents to perform kangaroo mother care as independently as possible. Financing should be augmented with policies, guidelines, role definitions (to enable health-care workers to allocate protected time for kangaroo mother care), education (in service and pre-service) and monitoring systems that are suitably tailored for different settings (including in the community).

Logistic issues, such as time for travel and kangaroo mother care, can be challenging but could be partly overcome by incorporating targeted assistance and support and extension of visiting times. Buy-in from policy-makers is critical to promote kangaroo mother care, especially through policies like maternity and paternity leave.42,107 At the national level, kangaroo mother care should be integrated with essential newborn, maternal and child health guidelines, with appropriate monitoring and evaluation.57

We may not have captured all the programmatic reports and data available. In particular, most of the studies included in our review were published from regions with low neonatal mortality. This limits the generalizability of our findings.

Conclusion

Prolonged skin-to-skin care demands time and energy from mothers recovering from labour and carers who may have other obligations. Many women are not aware of kangaroo mother care; health workers have not been trained or, if trained, do not promote such care. Kangaroo mother care may not be socially acceptable or even conflict with traditional customs. There is lack of standardization on who should receive kangaroo mother care and the presence of admissions criteria in neonatal units.

Kangaroo mother care should be practiced more systematically and consistently to enhance adoption25 and to build trust, with motivated trained staff, education of staff and parents, clear eligibility criteria, improved referral practices and creation of communities among kangaroo mother care participants through support groups. By addressing barriers and by building trust, effective uptake of kangaroo mother care into the health system will increase and this will help to improve neonatal survival.

KMC: kangaroo mother care.

Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by the Saving Newborn Lives program of Save the Children Federation, Inc. We thank Ellen Boundy, Roya Dastjerdi, Sandhya Kajeepeta, Stacie Constantian, Tobi Skotnes, and Ilana Bergelson for reviewing and abstracting data. Rodrigo Kuromoto and Eduardo Toledo reviewed non-English articles. We acknowledge Kate Lobner for developing and running the search strategy.

Competing interests:

None declared.

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