Kangaroo-a-thon

The goal of our Kangaroo-A-Thon is to encourage all neonatal units to actively promote Kangaroo Care and log as many hours of kangaroo holding (including modified holding) in a two week period. We hope you can host an event across the two week duration in May. We want to see as many hours of brain developing, neuro-protective, attachment building, and immunity boosting good times.

Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto Canada found that a kangaroo-a-thon was a fantastic way to break down barriers, unite staff and families with a common goal and witness the transformation of parents, as they were encouraged to cuddle with their infant.

What do you need to do?

First step is to register your hospital using the link on the right. Once you receive the confirmation of your registration and your hospital has been set up, you can use these to promote, educate and host your kangarooing event. The idea is to break down obstacles that may discourage your unit from doing this. We encourage you to;

• Print and provide each family a parent info letter  so they can learn how to log their hours.

  

• Print and use freely any of the promotional flyer.
• Download and print out tally forms to hand out to parents as they are giving their Kangaroo cuddles.
• Join us on Facebook or Instagram and encourage families to post comments and photographs, tag #miraclebabies #kangaroocare #kangaroocuddle #nicu #specialcare #premmie so we can see!
• At the end of your kangaroo-a-thon, send us all of your tally forms and we will calculate the winner and runner up!

The winning Australian hospital will also receive a Kangaroo Care Chair, generously funded by WaterWipes. We are very thankful for WaterWipes supporting the Kangaroo-a-thon for another year.

What is Kangaroo Care?

Kangaroo care or skin-to-skin contact is a special way both mums and dads can spend 

time holding their baby and it is an experience parents remember fondly during their hospital stay.

Babies wear only a nappy and are placed in an upright position directly on their dad’s bare chest or between mum’s bare breasts. The baby’s head will be turned to the side and then a blanket is placed on top.

Depending on your baby’s medical condition, you may be able to have your first cuddle the day they are born. Other times, you may need to wait days or weeks before their condition is stable enough for you to do so.

It is a good idea to ask your baby’s nurse when would be a good time, as some days may be better than others depending on how your baby is feeling, how you are feeling or what is going on in the nursery.

Kangaroo care can be done with both premature and full-term babies and is known to have many benefits, such as:

Benefits to Baby:

• Maintain baby’s body temperature
• Regulates baby’s heart and breathing rates
• Encourages baby to spend more time in a deep sleep
• Increases baby’s weight gain
• Improved oxygen saturation levels
• Can improve breast milk production and increases the chances of successful breastfeeding
• Longer periods of alertness
• Helps promote frequent breastfeeding

Benefits to Parents:

• Can build confidence
• Increases your bond with baby and can ease feeling of separation
• Can improve breast milk production and increases the chances of successful breastfeeding

"I visited my son an average of 12 hours everyday and spent most hours next to his bedside. The time I treasured most was our daily Kangaroo cuddles; we would spend 2 hours snuggling together, often with the both of us drifting off to sleep. Though there were lots happening around us it often seemed that we were the only two people in the room." - Naomi, Miracle Mum to Caden born at 29 weeks.

Parents should not apply strong perfumes and deodorant or smoke before participating in kangaroo care time with their baby. If the doctors feel that cuddling would be too much for your baby, you can still provide them comfort by offering your finger to grasp, talking or singing to them. However, it is always important to speak with your baby's medical team if you have any questions in relation to kangaroo cuddles.

Previous Kangaroo-a-thon winners: 
Thank you to all the hospital locations who participated in the 2024 Kangaroo-A-Thon! It was incredibly encouraging to see how hard everyone worked to promote this vital campaign. We hope you all had a hopping good time and increased education and awareness with your families and staff.

2024:
Winner: Flinders Medical Centre, SA
Runner up: John Hunter Hospital, NSW

2023:
Winner: Wollongong Hospital, NSW
Runnerup: Wodonga Hospital, VIC

2022:
Winner: Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
Runner up: Townsville Hospital, QLD

2021:
Winner: Womens and Childrens Hospital, SA
Runnerup: Centenary Hospital for Women, ACT