More Nigerians are embracing skin-to-skin care to reduce hypothermia in newborns
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Abuja, May 26, 2020 - At Kwali General Hospital Abuja post-natal ward lies Abdul Shuaibu, a 34year old civil servant holding his newly born baby - his second child, on his chest. This is becoming a familiar sight at the hospital in recent times. He was observing the 60-minute skin to skin Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) usually done by mothers.
KMC is a method of care for pre-term and/or low birth weight infants, the method involves infants being carried, usually by the mother, with skin-to-skin contact. However, in the facilities implementing QoC on the WHO QED network in Nigeria, the skin to skin care is used for all stable babies (irrespective of their weight) to reduce hypothermia, for early initiation of breastfeeding and improve bonding.