SynthesisInternational journal of epidemiology2010
'Kangaroo mother care' to prevent neonatal deaths due to preterm birth complications.
Synthesis in International journal of epidemiology, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03545204 (Implementation Research for Introducing Sustainable Uptake of cKMC Intervention Package in Rural Pakistan. A Community-based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.), which is not on this map. Cited by 176 papers, 22 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Implementation Research for Introducing Sustainable Uptake of cKMC Intervention Package in Rural Pakistan. A Community-based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.
Who cites it
176 citing papers in PubMed, 22 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 531 citations in OpenAlex.
- Kangaroo Mother Care Is Beneficial for Both Infants and Parents: An Umbrella Review.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of Kangaroo mother care vs. conventional care during hospitalization for preterm and/or low birth weight infants: a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Ending malnutrition in all its forms requires scaling up proven nutrition interventions and much more: a 129-country analysis.BMC medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Effectiveness of early intervention programs for parents of preterm infants: a meta-review of systematic reviews.BMC pediatrics · 2018Pooled it
- Quality improvement initiatives for hospitalised small and sick newborns in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.Implementation science : IS · 2018Pooled it
- Barriers and enablers of kangaroo mother care implementation from a health systems perspective: a systematic review.Health policy and planning · 2017Pooled it
- Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- What is kangaroo mother care? Systematic review of the literature.Journal of global health · 2016Pooled it
- The effect of coverings, including plastic bags and wraps, on mortality and morbidity in preterm and full-term neonates.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2016Pooled it
- Kangaroo mother care: a systematic review of barriers and enablers.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2016Pooled it
- Strategies for improving health care seeking for maternal and newborn illnesses in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Global health action · 2016Pooled it
- Kangaroo Mother Care and Neonatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis.Pediatrics · 2016Pooled it
- Inequities in postnatal care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2015Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Estimates of possible severe bacterial infection in neonates in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and Latin America for 2012: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2014Pooled it
- Parental experiences of providing skin-to-skin care to their newborn infant--part 1: a qualitative systematic review.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2014Pooled it
- Parental experiences of providing skin-to-skin care to their newborn infant--part 2: a qualitative meta-synthesis.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2014Pooled it
- Neonatal severe bacterial infection impairment estimates in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America for 2010.Pediatric research · 2013Pooled it
- The global burden of neonatal hypothermia: systematic review of a major challenge for newborn survival.BMC medicine · 2013Pooled it
116 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background'Kangaroo mother care' (KMC) includes thermal care through continuous skin-to-skin contact, support for exclusive breastfeeding or other appropriate feeding, and early recognition/response to illness. Whilst increasingly accepted in both high- and low-income countries, a Cochrane review (2003) did not find evidence of KMC's mortality benefit, and did not report neonatal-specific data.
objectivesThe objectives of this study were to review the evidence, and estimate the effect of KMC on neonatal mortality due to complications of preterm birth.
methodsWe conducted systematic reviews. Standardized abstraction tables were used and study quality assessed by adapted GRADE methodology. Meta-analyses were undertaken.
resultsWe identified 15 studies reporting mortality and/or morbidity outcomes including nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and six observational studies all from low- or middle-income settings. Except one, all were hospital-based and included only babies of birth-weight <2000 g (assumed preterm). The one community-based trial had missing birthweight data, as well as other limitations and was excluded. Neonatal-specific data were supplied by two authors. Meta-analysis of three RCTs commencing KMC in the first week of life showed a significant reduction in neonatal mortality [relative risk (RR) 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-0.82] compared with standard care. A meta-analysis of three observational studies also suggested significant mortality benefit (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.58-0.79). Five RCTs suggested significant reductions in serious morbidity for babies <2000 g (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.17-0.65).
conclusionThis is the first published meta-analysis showing that KMC substantially reduces neonatal mortality amongst preterm babies (birth weight <2000 g) in hospital, and is highly effective in reducing severe morbidity, particularly from infection. However, KMC remains unavailable at-scale in most low-income countries.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.