8.5.4  How long should KMC continue?

When the mother and baby are comfortable with the process, KMC should continue for as long as possible, or until the gestational age reaches term (40 weeks) or the baby’s weight reaches 2,500 gm. But if the baby weighs more than 1,800 gm and its temperature is stable, there are no respiratory problems and the baby is feeding well, it can be safely weaned from KMC before 40 weeks. And when the baby has had enough of being in KMC, it starts to communicate with the mother in its own ways, by wriggling, by moving a lot, pulling their limbs out of the wrapping and by crying until they are removed from the wrapping.

Finally, if you follow all these guidelines and help your families with preterm or low birth weight babies to care for them as described in this study session, you are sure to save some young lives. And what could be better than that!