Abstract

Dr. Shubhangi K. Thakur*

ABSTRACT

20 million low-birth-weight (LBW) babies are born each year, because of either preterm birth or impaired prenatal growth, mostly in less developed countries. They contribute substantially to a high rate of neonatal mortality whose frequency and distribution correspond to those of poverty.[1,2] LBW and preterm birth are thus associated with high neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity.[3,4] Of the estimated 4 million neonatal deaths, preterm and lbw babies represent more than a fifth.[5] Therefore, the care of such infants becomes a burden for health and social systems everywhere.. One-third of LBW babies die within the first 12 hours after delivery. One of the main reasons that lbw / premature babies are at greater risk of illness and death is that they lack the ability to control their body temperature; they get cold or hypothermic very quickly. A cold newborn stops feeding and is more susceptible to infection.[6] the use of incubators is standard for thermal care of LBW babies. However, “incubator care” is not widely available in developing countries, especially outside of large cities. Even in the limited cases where incubator care is available, the use of this method can be very challenging. Problems such as poor maintenance, power outages and lack of replacement parts reduce the number of available, functional incubators. Fortunately, there is an alternative approach for providing thermal care for and improving survival of LBW infants that is both effective and affordable namely, Kangaroo Mother Care or KMC.[6]