International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day is held on 15th May each year. It’s a global event that aims to increase the safety, implementation, research, awareness, and education about kangaroo care globally. It also hopes to bring attention to the many benefits of Kangaroo Care.

To celebrate, we'd love all Australian Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Care Units to be involved in our annual Kangaroo-a-thon which kicks off 15th May!

With around 132 babies born each day requiring specialised care, Kangaroo Care is important for the health of sick and preterm newborns. Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin care) is known to have many benefits particularly for babies born premature or sick, along with their parents, including;

• Maintaining baby’s body temperature
• Regulating heart rate and breathing rates
• Increasing weight gain
• Helping to promote breastfeeding
• Building parental confidence and increasing bond