Every year on May 15 , the world celebrates International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day , a day dedicated to promoting the life-saving benefits of skin-to-skin contact between parents and newborns—especially preterm and low-birth-weight babies . This simple yet powerful practice mimics the warmth and security of a kangaroo’s pouch, offering critical health benefits for infants and emotional bonding for families. What Is Kangaroo Care? Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) involves: ✔ Chest-to-chest contact between a parent and baby. ✔ Exclusive breastfeeding (when possible). ✔ Extended bonding time to stabilize the baby’s vital signs. Originally developed in Colombia in the 1970s as an alternative to incubators in resource-limited settings, it is now a globally recognized WHO-recommended practice for improving newborn survival rates. Why Does Kangaroo Care Matter? For Babies: Regulates body temperature (reducing hypothermia risk). Stabilizes heart rate & breathing (fewer apnea ...