Could cuddling save tiny babies? major trial tests early kangaroo care

NCT ID NCT02811432

First seen Jan 09, 2026 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 25 times

Summary

This study tested whether starting kangaroo mother care (skin-to-skin contact) early, before babies are stable, reduces death within 7 days in low birth weight newborns. Over 2,200 babies weighing 700-2000 grams were randomly assigned to early skin-to-skin care or standard incubator care at four Ugandan hospitals. The goal was to see if early cuddling could save more lives.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for KANGAROO MOTHER CARE are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Entebbe

    Entebbe, Uganda

  • Iganga District Hospital

    Iganga, Uganda

  • Jinja Regional Referral Hospital

    Jinja, Uganda

  • Masaka Regional Referral Hospital

    Masaka, Uganda

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

kangaroo mother care (skin-to-skin contact)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could show that starting skin-to-skin care early saves more lives in low birth weight babies, changing hospital practices in Africa.

What could go wrong

This is a single trial in Uganda, so results may not apply everywhere. The intervention requires dedicated caregivers, which may not be feasible in all settings.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Hypothermia Perinatal Death Premature Birth

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.