Comparative Analysis of kangaroo mother care versus Standard Care in neonatal sepsis

Abstract

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of newborn death, and kangaroo mother care, comprising skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding support, and early discharge with follow-up, has been proposed as a low-cost intervention that may reduce sepsis alongside its established benefits for growth and mortality.

Objective: This review synthesizes trials, meta-analyses, and mechanistic studies comparing kangaroo mother care with standard incubator-based care on neonatal sepsis outcomes, and the pathways proposed to explain any difference.

Methods: We reviewed Cochrane reviews, the WHO multicountry immediate kangaroo mother care trial, facility-based and community-initiated randomized trials, and supporting literature on sepsis and mortality in low-birthweight infants.

Findings: Pooled evidence indicates kangaroo mother care reduces possible serious bacterial infection and clinically diagnosed sepsis relative to standard care, with the largest effect when care begins early and is sustained; proposed mechanisms include reduced nosocomial exposure, improved thermal stability, enhanced breastfeeding, and closer maternal surveillance.

Conclusions: Kangaroo mother care is associated with a consistent reduction in neonatal sepsis compared with standard care, supporting its role as a core component of low-birthweight infant care across resource settings, though heterogeneity in sepsis case definitions warrants standardized surveillance.