Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators of Kangaroo Mother Care

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By: Teertha Arora, Candidate for Masters in Public Health (Global Health), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Research suggests that kangaroo mother care (KMC) can significantly reduce deaths in newborns as well as the risk of hypothermia and severe illness. Furthermore, it can lead to improved growth, breastfeeding practices and mother–child bonding. A recent study conducted by Chan and colleagues systematically reviewed the barriers and enablers of KMC within a health system…read more

How Kangaroo Mother Care Has Improved Newborn Health Outcomes and Supported Moms in Kenya

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By: Lutomia Mangala, Health Specialist, UNICEF Kenya

Kangaroo mother care involves prolonged continuous skin-to-skin contact between a mother or her surrogate and her preterm or low birth weight infant. For stable preterm infants, this low-cost, high-impact intervention has been shown to offer better thermal regulation and greater health benefits compared to conventional care…read more

World Malaria Day: New Resources for Addressing Malaria in Pregnancy

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By: Kayla McGowan, Project Coordinator, Women and Health Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

While the number of deaths from malaria has declined around the world, malaria in pregnancy (MiP) continues to pose substantial health risks to pregnant women and newborns. MiP is a large contributor of global maternal deaths, and in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria infection in pregnancy accounts for approximately one in five stillbirths and one in ten newborn deaths. MiP can lead to other complications including anemia, prematurity and low birthweight…read more