Ansh

Globally 2.4 million children died in the first month of life in 2020. India alone accounted for 22% of these newborn deaths. The leading risk factor for mortality among children under five years of age is Low Birth Weight, which is responsible for more than 80% of neonatal deaths. A simple solution holds the potential to significantly reduce these deaths: placing low birth weight infants directly onto the mothers chest for skin-to-skin contact, an intervention known as Kangaroo Care (KC). KC entails not only prolonged and continuous skin-to-skin contact but also exclusive breastfeeding and close monitoring of the infant. KC has proven to effectively reduce mortality and morbidity rates by around 33% (compared to the standard of care using electric incubators) by preventing hypothermia, fighting infections like sepsis, and helping the newborn gain weight through the caregivers heat. However, adoption barriers for Kangaroo Care in LMICs, such as India, persist. These include insu...