Canada’s first national Kangaroo-A-Thon logs more than 12,500 hours of skin-to-skin care for NICU babies

HN Summary

• Canada’s first National Kangaroo-A-Thon brought together more than 50 NICUs and generated over 12,500 hours of skin-to-skin care for premature and medically fragile infants. 

• Led by the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, the initiative promoted Kangaroo Care—an evidence-based practice that improves infant health, development and parent-infant bonding. 

• The campaign highlights growing national support for family-integrated neonatal care, with hospitals across Canada recognized for expanding access to skin-to-skin care in the NICU.

More than 50 neonatal intensive care units across Canada participated in the month-long initiative to advance family-integrated care

Canada’s first National Kangaroo-A-Thon has surpassed expectations, bringing together more than 50 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from coast to coast and generating more than 12,500 hours of skin-to-skin care for premature and medically fragile infants.

Led by the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation (CPBF), the month-long initiative was created to increase awareness and adoption of Kangaroo Care—the practice of placing a newborn directly against a parent’s chest to support infant stability, development and parent-child bonding.

Originally, organizers hoped to engage 25 hospitals. Instead, the inaugural campaign attracted participation from 49 Level 2 and Level 3 NICUs, along with three additional neonatal units, making it the largest coordinated effort of its kind in Canada.

“Everyone worked incredibly hard and showed a true commitment to making this happen,” said Fabiana Bacchini, Executive Director of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation. “Increasing skin-to-skin care at the clinical level requires education, training and collaboration—something that would never have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the participating hospitals.”

She added that the initiative also helped reassure families that skin-to-skin care can often be safely incorporated into neonatal care, even for babies requiring complex medical treatment.

“Most importantly, this initiative demonstrated to parents of preemies and babies in the NICU that there are safe ways to experience skin-to-skin care, even in complex clinical settings. Together, these hospitals and partners have demonstrated the extraordinary impact of Kangaroo Care.”

A proven approach to improving neonatal outcomes

Kangaroo Care has become one of the most extensively studied interventions in neonatal medicine. Research has shown that regular skin-to-skin contact can help regulate an infant’s temperature, heart rate and breathing, promote healthy brain development, improve breastfeeding success, support weight gain and strengthen the emotional bond between parents and their newborn.

The practice also benefits parents by increasing confidence, reducing stress and encouraging greater participation in their baby’s care during a hospital stay.

By encouraging hospitals to increase opportunities for skin-to-skin care, the Kangaroo-A-Thon aimed to make the practice a more consistent part of routine NICU care across Canada.

Supporting families and care teams

The initiative was supported by Joeyband, a Canadian-designed, internationally patented skin-to-skin support device that helps parents and healthcare teams safely facilitate Kangaroo Care in both hospital and home settings.

“Skin-to-skin care is one of the most studied practices in neonatal care, and new research continues to reinforce its profound impact on infant and family outcomes,” said Sarah-Almaza Cox, co-founder of Joeyband.

“We’re proud to provide hospitals and families with a solution that helps make skin-to-skin care safer, easier and more accessible. Improving workflow, supporting better patient outcomes and helping babies get the very best possible start is at the heart of everything we do.”

Recognizing excellence in neonatal care

At the conclusion of the Kangaroo-A-Thon, participating hospitals were recognized for their efforts to increase skin-to-skin care. Awards were based on the highest average amount of skin-to-skin care provided per eligible baby, per day.

Level 2 NICU Champion

• Winner: Windsor Regional Hospital (Windsor, Ontario) — 2 hours and 38 minutes of skin-to-skin care per eligible baby, per day. 

• Runner-up: Brant Community Healthcare System (Brantford, Ontario). 

Level 3 NICU Champion

• Winner: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario) — 2 hours and 46 minutes of skin-to-skin care per eligible baby, per day. 

• Runner-up: Montreal Children’s Hospital (Montreal, Quebec). 

Building momentum for family-integrated care

The overwhelming response to Canada’s first National Kangaroo-A-Thon demonstrates growing recognition of the importance of family-integrated care in neonatal medicine.

By bringing together hospitals from across the country around a shared goal, the initiative has helped reinforce the role parents play as essential partners in their baby’s care while encouraging healthcare teams to embed evidence-based practices into everyday clinical care.

With more than 12,500 hours of skin-to-skin care delivered during its inaugural year, organizers hope the Kangaroo-A-Thon will continue to build momentum, expand participation and further improve outcomes for Canada’s smallest and most vulnerable patients.

Emily Mackie works in communications at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. 

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