Ensuring KMC in health facilities and follow-up and support for continuation at home to improve survival of preterm and low birthweight babies. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a proven intervention that includes continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, exclusive breastmilk feeding, and early discharge from hospital.Essential newborn care for all babies, which includes a clean delivery, encouraging skin-to-skin contact with the mother after birth, umbilical cord care, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, and resuscitation at birth for non-breathing newborns.
These key practices and interventions can dramatically increase a newborn’s chance of survival: Basic, low-cost care can save up to two-thirds of newborn lives when provided by trained health workers. These three conditions account for more than 80 percent of newborn deaths. Our newborn health programs focus on preventing and treating the main causes of newborn deaths: preterm birth, infections and complications during childbirth. More than 800,000 newborns die on the first day of life, making the day of birth the most dangerous day for babies in nearly every country. Each year, 2.4 million newborns die, 1.9 million babies are stillborn and 295,000 women die globally during pregnancy or childbirth. It is also the most dangerous period for the newborn’s mother.
The first 28 days of a child’s life – the neonatal, or newborn, period – carries the highest risk of death.