Kangaroo Care refers to skin-to-skin contact between an infant and parent, especially during the first hour after birth, and has numerous benefits for both baby and mother such as improved temperature regulation, breastfeeding success, bonding, and decreased crying for the baby as well as pain relief and increased oxytocin for the mother. Kangaroo Care also benefits fathers by providing an alternative to holding their baby skin-to-skin after a cesarean delivery and helps with bonding.

1. Kangaroo Care
The greatest gift you can give your
child

2. What is Kangaroo Care?
Skin-to-skin contact
for an infant, most
importantly, during
the Golden Hour or
the first hour of
life.

3. Kangaroo Care Promotes:
• Baby’s temperature
regulation
• Normalization of heart
and respiratory rate
• Successful breast feeding
• Improvement of mother’s
milk production

4. Physical Benefits to Mother
• Bonding
• Decrease pain
perception
• Increased oxytocin
(the “feel good”
hormone)
• Satisfaction with
birth experience

5. What about Dad?
• Alternative for cesarean
section deliveries
• Relieve mother for need rest
• Promotes paternal bonding
• Provides warmth & comfort
to infant

6. Continued Kangaroo Care for the
1st month of life promotes:
• Infant weight gain
• More time in deep sleep
• More time being quiet and alert
• Less crying

7. Recommendations
March of Dimes Foundation, 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.marchofdimes.org/baby/kangaroo-care.aspx