Scientists through a newly conducted research suggested that the survival rate of newborn and underweight babies can be reduced if they are given ‘kangaroo care’. Babies given ‘kangaroo care’ are nestled directly against their mother’s breasts.

As per experts, this type of infant are includes skin-to-skin contact between the newborn and mother, breastfeeding, early discharge from the health facility after delivery and close follow-up care at home.

Scientists after analyzing around 124 previously conducted studies found that kangaroo care was linked with 36% lower mortality among how birth weight newborns, as compared to conventional care.

Lead author Dr. Ellen Boundy and senior author Dr. Grace Chan, public health researchers at Harvard University in Boston, said, “Despite the evidence of numerous benefits to infants who receive kangaroo mother care, its overall use around the world remains low, and uptake varies greatly across setting and providers”.

Boundy and Chan further said that their study will provide strong evidence on kangaroo mother care which will help clinicians, families and policy-makers to understand that benefits of implementing this practice can help in better health of newborns.

It has been found that an estimated four million infants every year die during their first four weeks after birth. Infants born pre-term or at low birth weight have a high risk of death, serious illness, developmental delays and chronic disease, said researchers.

Researchers noted that kangaroo care was also linked to lower risks of sepsis, a type of serious bloodstream infection, reduced odds that infants would have extremely high or low body temperatures.