KNH opens first Immediate Kangaroo Care Unit to reduce newborn deaths

The newly launched Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (IKMC) at Kenyatta National Hospital. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Kenyatta National Hospital marked World Prematurity Day on November 17 with the launch of a ground-breaking Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (IKMC) unit, a development expected to reshape the way preterm and low-birth-weight babies are cared for in Kenya.

The new eight-bed unit represents a shift towards zero separation of mothers and their newborns from the moment of birth, even before the babies have fully stabilised.

According to Dr Wairimu Kimani, Head of the Newborn Unit at KNH, immediate skin-to-skin contact has been shown to reduce mortality, minimise the risk of hypothermia and infection, improve rates of exclusive breastfeeding, and strengthen mothers’ confidence in caring for their fragile infants.

“Immediate skin-to-skin has been shown to reduce mortality, minimise the risk of hypothermia and infection, improve rates of exclusive breastfeeding and strengthen mothers’ confidence in caring for their fragile infants,” she said.

Unlike traditional neonatal practice, where preterm babies are stabilised in incubators before being placed on their mothers’ chests, the new approach initiates kangaroo care almost immediately after delivery.

“This new model represents a shift towards zero separation of mothers and their newborns from the moment of birth,” she noted.

Dr Kimani said the shift has been supported by recent evidence from countries including Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana and India, showing that babies as small as 1,000 or below 800 grammes benefit significantly when stabilisation occurs while in continuous skin-to-skin contact.

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She said that with the IKMC, all essential treatments, including IV fluids, antibiotics, phototherapy, feeding support and continuous monitoring, will continue as before, but the mother’s chest becomes the primary place of care rather than an incubator.

Mothers, or trained surrogates when necessary, will maintain prolonged skin-to-skin contact for a minimum of eight hours, with many likely to reach twenty hours or more each day.

Dr Kimani also noted that the model requires close collaboration between neonatal and obstetric teams, since mothers also need postnatal care during the period when their babies remain on their chests.

“Keeping mothers and babies together may also help curb infections, as most hospital-acquired infections in newborn units stem not from mothers but from cross-transmission by healthcare workers caring for multiple infants,” she added.

The launch has prompted broader reflections on the need to rethink the design of maternity and newborn units across the country.

Many facilities remain constrained by limited space and layouts that separate mothers from their babies. At KNH, however, the pilot was achieved with minimal structural changes.

“An existing postnatal room was equipped with oxygen piping, and neonatal staff were integrated into the postnatal ward to support continuous care without relocating mothers,” she said.

Dr Kimani encouraged facilities to begin with simple adjustments, arguing that even small steps can help cultivate a culture of zero separation.

The introduction of Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care at the country’s largest referral hospital is a significant stride towards reducing neonatal deaths and improving the long-term wellbeing of preterm infants.

KNH hopes the model will lead not only to better survival rates and shorter hospital stays but also to stronger, more confident caregiving when families finally return home.