The American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with Picturing Health and the World Continuing Education Alliance (WCEA) and with funding from the Gates Foundation, has developed a free educational course titled “Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care for Preterm and Low Birthweight Babies.”
Globally, 1 in 10 babies are born premature – before 37 weeks of gestation – while many more are born with a low birthweight. Complications from prematurity are now the leading cause of child death worldwide. Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (iKMC) has the power to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of these babies. While KMC has long been used for babies who have stabilised, iKMC can benefit unstable, very premature or low birth weight babies being care for in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
Rooted in scientific evidence, this course will equip providers with the knowledge to advocate for minimal separation between mothers and babies and the skills to integrate iKMC into their practice. The course, available in English, French and Spanish, will take about 4 hours to complete and includes 14 short films demonstrating practical implementation across global healthcare settings.
Access the iKMC course:
If you are a new user of the WCEA:
If you are an existing user:
Once logged in, search by educator “American Academy of Pediatrics” to find the course in your language.
