Dr Helen Brotherton was awarded a Research Training Fellowship by the Wellcome Trust through London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in December 2015. The project named “Randomised controlled trial of early kangaroo mother care for hospitalised neonates <2000g” is valid for a period of 3 years. The study will commence in late 2016 and will be conducted at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul.
The project will look at Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a method of caring for preterm and small babies which reduces mortality and infections in stable newborns weighing <2000g. It also improves growth and breastfeeding. There is an evidence gap for the timing of KMC with most evidence for implementation after 24 hours of life.

This project aims to examine the effect of starting KMC very early, within 24 hours of birth compared with standard care at the neonatal unit at EFSTH. Principal Investigator, Dr Helen Brotherton, will be looking at mortality, suspected and proven infections, skin colonisation with 3 bacteria, weight gain, breastfeeding and duration of admission with some follow up at the preterm / LBW clinic at EFSTH.

Dr Helen Brotherton, the principal investigator said “Neonatal and preterm mortality remains unacceptably high and there is a need to focus on interventions within the first 24 hours after birth when most deaths occur. This study will give insight into how best to manage small and preterm newborns in The Gambia and similar countries”.

Read more about: 

The Wellcome Trust on http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/