About Us

Kangaroo Mother Care Foundation , India ( KMCF)

Kangaroo Mother Care including breast feeding promotion, planned early discharge and regular follow up including neuro development has been now recognized as a very important intervention ( a gold standard) for the quality survival of all the newborns, especially the low birth weight babies including preterm newborns, all over the world, at all the settings irrespective of socio economic level of any country

Need for KMC Foundation in India

The Government of India has introduced KMC in the training of health care workers since almost a decade. But due attention has not been paid to make sure of the quality of KMC practice and the extent of KMC practice. Two surveys done recently, have confirmed these observations. There is a lot of scope for improvement and get the rich dividends at much less investments. Only Government efforts will not be adequate to improve the KMC practice in India. Various professional bodies have multiple activities on their hands. They cannot devote more time to improve KMC in our country. The KMC network of India has initiated many awareness and training programs to spread the message of KMC in India. But in a vast country like ours with more than 27 million births every year and a huge burden of about 9 millions of vulnerable LBWI and preterm babies, many more dedicated groups are required to share the responsibilities and spread the message of KMC and expedite and multiply all the efforts in our country to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of neonatal survival. Kangaroo Mother Care Foundation of India is conceived with these purposes of up scaling of awareness, advocacy and proper practice of KMC and promotion of KMC related research in our country.

Following the successful conduction of 9th International Conference of KMC in India at Ahmedabad from 22nd to 25th November 2012, a group of likeminded doctors from Gujarat have decided to initiate this dedicated foundation to promote KMC in India

It is a voluntary, non- profit, non- government organization with coverage of activities all over India with the permanent central office at Gujarat.

Efforts will be made to form state wise and city wise groups of members of KMC foundation, covering all the states and Union territories of India

Mission:

To make Kangaroo Mother Care, a part of routine care of all the newborns, especially the low birth weight infants and not considered as a special extra intervention.

Vision:

KMC is considered as the natural right of every baby and more so for the low birth weight newborns including preterm and IUGR babies and must be the gold standard of care as soon as possible after birth. KMC practice should become universal and reach almost all the newborns in our country, be they in hospitals or at home.

Mother’s chest is the best place for baby care and mother’s milk is the best food for baby’s nutrition.

Avoid mother baby separation as much as possible. Incubators or other warming devices like radiant warmers are used only when KMC is not possible rather than using KMC when incubators / warmers are not available.

We should always aim for zero separation of mother and her newborn baby.

Proposed activities:

Kangaroo Mother Care promotion is the main theme. But other related aspects of newborn care including breast feeding of low birth weight babies, Infection prevention measures, detection of danger signals at very early stages, neonatal transport, primary care of sick babies and such topics will also be covered.

  • Training and capacity building of all cadres of health care workers related to newborn care i.e. Doctors, Nurses, Community workers like ANMs, AWWs, ASHA, Jashoda/ mother companions and other groups from different NGOs and Voluntary service organizations

(Translation of training modules in all the languages with local modification as required. Preparation of training videos in local languages suitable to local culture.)

If possible conduct special training courses for formal certification to Master trainers of KMC , apart from the regular training of trainers ( TOT)

  • Awareness and advocacy programs combined with behavior change communication activities for general public.

(Public meetings, Write up in local media and press, Educational Charts, Role plays, local Radio, TV programs,

Walks, exhibitions, quiz programs and others.

  • Conduction/ participation in conferences, workshops, Parent group meetings etc.
  • Support Research and publications related to KMC and Breast feeding.

(Collect local data and if possible, create database)

  • To form a resource center for KMC in India. Compile local bibliography of publications related to KMC and related topics of newborn care in India.
  • To conduct some research studies and participate in some multi centric national and international projects.( depending on availability of funds)
  • Awards and appreciations for best research papers, best KMC promotion activity in doctors, nurses and different groups of health care workers and volunteers
  • Accreditation of best Kangaroo care wards/units and follow up programs at a later stage.
  • Publish a Quarterly Journal/newsletter on KMC and related topics of newborn care in India, covering hospital based as well as community based experiences and studies.
  • Any other activities which will help promotion of KMC in India

Networking for KMC related activities:

  • Support all the Government programs related to promotion of KMC and related subjects of newborn care.
  • Liaison with Kangaroo Mother Care Network of India
  • Liaison with medical college departments and professional bodies like National Neonatology Forum, Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies of India, Trained Nurses Association of India, Neonatology Nurses Association, Perinatology groups, Breast Feeding Promotion Network of India, Indian Medical Association, professional bodies of alternate medicines etc.
  • Liaison with International network of KMC, Bogota and KMC Foundations of different countries all over the world

(Bogota, Columbia, South Africa, USA, Philippines, Madagascar, Malawi, Ukrain and others)

  • Liaison with International NGOs like WHO, UNICEF, SNL,CARE and others for KMC related activities