By Asma’u Ahmad
The Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine has described the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) method as a great lifesaving intervention for babies who were born prematurely.
Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, the president of the society, spoke at a meeting organised by an NGO, Mamaye, with stakeholders in Lagos on “Prematurity in Nigeria and Kangaroo Mother Care’’. The World Health Organisation (WHO), described KMC as “a method of care of preterm infants.
He said: “Kangaroo mother care is a method of care of preterm infants. The method involves infants being carried, usually by the mother, with skin-to-skin contact. This guide is intended for health professionals responsible for the care of low-birth-weight and preterm infants.’’
Professor Ezeaka of the Neonatology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, said that newborn mortality remains one of the Nigeria’s major health challenges.
She said that health workers should encourage mothers of preterm babies to embrace KMC.
On the benefits of KMC, Ezeaka said, “It is the best incubator, especially as we lack incubators in our hospitals. To the baby, it provides 24 hours warmth, aids physiologic stability, multimodal stimulation, reduced infection, better Intelligence Quotient (IQ), alertness, quiet sleep and early growth spurt.
“To the mother, it promotes self-confidence, successful breastfeeding and better maternal-baby bonding; it reduces hospital stay, brings satisfaction and is economical.
“Then, to the family, it saves money, reduces incidence of child abuse and abandonment; it also creates room to make the baby grow healthier,’’ she said.
