A mother's embrace as medicine: kangaroo care put to the test for tiny newborns

NCT ID NCT07736274

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether kangaroo mother care—prolonged skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding—improves outcomes for low birth weight infants (1500–2000 grams). Over 40 days, researchers will measure weight gain, head growth, and rates of hypothermia in babies receiving kangaroo care versus standard care. The goal is to see if this simple, nurturing approach can reduce complications and speed recovery in vulnerable newborns.

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 (prolonged skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding)
What this could lead to
If effective, this simple, low-cost method could become a standard way to help low birth weight babies gain weight, stay warm, and leave the hospital sooner.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center trial with 100 infants, so results may not apply to all settings. The intervention relies on consistent maternal participation, which may be challenging for some families.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Nov 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

1 hour to 6 hours

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Neonates of age 1-6 hours, both genders Delivered \>32 weeks of gestation (as per maternal record) Delivered either via cesarean section or vaginal delivery With low birth weight (1500-2000 grams) Exclusion Criteria: * Children with major congenital disorder, cleft lip and palate, cyanotic heart disease, congenital anomaly, * Having chromosomal abnormality or Down's score \>7 at admission * Neonates of birth weight \<1500 grams, need NICU admission for surfactant or resuscitation

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Birth Weight

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi

    Karachi, Sindh, 75557, Pakistan