Daily Skin-to-Skin Contact Duration in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants Admitted to a Kangaroo Care Unit

Kangaroo Mother Care promotes prolonged skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their parents. Although this practice is routinely encouraged in Kangaroo Care Units, the daily duration of skin-to-skin contact varies substantially between families. This prospective observational study aims to estimate the average daily duration of skin-to-skin contact among newborns admitted to the Kangaroo Unit at Valenciennes Hospital and to identify maternal, neonatal, and organizational factors associated with this practice. This non-interventional study does not modify routine clinical care. Data are collected from routinely available medical records, a brief parental questionnaire completed at enrollment, and the daily recording of skin-to-skin contact performed throughout hospitalization. The study will provide a description of skin-to-skin practice in a specialized Kangaroo Unit and may help inform future strategies to support the implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care.