Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Kangaroo Mother Care intervention and subsequent infant's mental and physical growth at 6 and 12 months of age. The general hypothesis is that skin-to-skin contact in the KMC group will build up a state of readiness to detect and respond to infant's cues thus creating a more stimulating environment.

Method: The Randomized Controlled Trial was conducted in Bogota on a set 1084 infants weighing less than 2001 grams. Of these, 746 were eligible according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria but 30 (4.1%) died between eligibility and 12 months (death rate was similar in both groups), 134(18%) abandoned the study, 21 (2.8%) KMC mothers did not follow instructions to carry the baby, and 8 were lost because of rehospitalization. The study group was thus reduced to 553 mother and infant dyads: 280 in the KMC group and 273 in the TC group. Assessments: Infants were administered the Griffiths scales at 6 and 12 months (corrected age), the Home stimulation index (HOME) between 6 and 12 months, the Infanib and measures of physical growth at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Interventions: Kangaroo Mother Care has three components: First one is the kangaroo position. Once the premature infant has adapted to extra uterine life and is able to breast feed, he is positioned on the mother's chest, in a upright position, with direct skin-to-skin contact. The second component is kangaroo nutrition, and the third is the daily clinical control. In the traditional care (TC) group, infants are kept in incubators until they are able to self regulate their temperature, and are thriving.

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