Kangaroo Care Challenge 2026
Advancing family-centred neonatal care for premature and medically vulnerable newborns
More closeness. More confidence. Better outcomes.
From 15 May to 14 June 2026, marking World Kangaroo Mother Care Day, 11 neonatal units from 8 hospitals across Romania took part in the Kangaroo Care Challenge 2026—the country’s largest national initiative dedicated to promoting Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC).
For one month, neonatal teams encouraged and supported parents to spend as much time as possible in skin-to-skin contact with their babies. Every hour of Kangaroo Mother Care contributed to improving newborn outcomes, strengthening parental confidence and advancing family-centred neonatal care.
Participating neonatal units
Category A – Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs): Filantropia Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucharest, Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, Cluj County Clinical Emergency Hospital – Neonatology I, Oradea County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Cuza Vodă Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iași.
Category B – Level III Neonatal Units and Level II Special Care Baby Units: Filantropia Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucharest, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, Cuza Vodă Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iași, Dr. Fogolyán Kristóf County Emergency Hospital, Sfântu Gheorghe, Slobozia County Emergency Hospital.
Why Kangaroo Mother Care?
Evidence consistently demonstrates that Kangaroo Mother Care:
- reduces neonatal mortality by up to 40% among stable newborns weighing less than 2 kg (Lawn et al., The Lancet, 2010);
- reduces severe infections and shortens hospital stay (Conde-Agudelo & Díaz-Rossello, 2016);
- supports brain development and strengthens parent–infant bonding (Boundy et al., Pediatrics, 2016);
- improves breastfeeding outcomes and thermoregulation (Moore et al., 2016);
- provides long-term neurodevelopmental benefits, reducing the risk of cognitive, behavioural and social impairments (Pediatrics, 2017);
- is recommended by the World Health Organization as standard care for eligible newborns, with longer daily duration associated with greater benefits.
KMC Challenge 2026 in numbers
🕐 Duration: 30 days
🏥 Hospitals: 8
👶 Neonatal units: 11
👩⚕️ Healthcare professionals: 133
👨👩👧 Parents involved: 121, including 34 fathers
👶 Babies receiving Kangaroo Mother Care: 98
🦘 KMC sessions lasting at least 90 minutes: 904
⏱️ Total KMC practice: 1,473.5 hours
🏆 Total score: 1,232 points
📸 Professional family photo sessions and hospital exhibitions: 7
These results reflect the commitment of neonatal teams and the growing engagement of parents as active partners in their baby’s care from the very beginning.
KMC Challenge 2026 Results
Category A – Level III NICUs
🥇 Cluj County Clinical Emergency Hospital – Neonatology I (272 points)
🥈 Filantropia Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucharest (85 points)
🥉 Oradea County Clinical Emergency Hospital (80 points)
🏅 Cuza Vodă Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iași (68 points)
🏅 Bucharest University Emergency Hospital (63 points)
Category B – Level III & Level II Neonatal Units
🥇 Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, Bucharest (329 points)
🥈 Dr. Fogolyán Kristóf County Emergency Hospital, Sfântu Gheorghe (128 points)
🥉 Cuza Vodă Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iași (83 points)
🏅 Filantropia Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucharest (74 points)
🏅 Slobozia County Emergency Hospital (32 points)
🏅 Bucharest University Emergency Hospital (18 points)
We congratulate all participating teams for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to making parents true partners in the care of their hospitalized newborns.
Award
The winning teams in both categories will participate in a study visit to the Neonatal Unit of Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria di Modena (Italy), a European centre with extensive experience in developmental, family-centred neonatal care and NIDCAP implementation.
The visit will provide an opportunity to exchange expertise and explore best practices in parental integration and neurodevelopmental care.
Category A Winner
Cluj County Clinical Emergency Hospital – Neonatology I
Category B Winner
Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, Bucharest
Changing the experience of prematurity, together
The KMC Challenge 2026 once again demonstrated that when healthcare professionals and parents work together, Kangaroo Mother Care becomes more than a clinical intervention—it becomes a culture of care.
Our vision is that every family with a premature or medically vulnerable newborn in Romania has the opportunity to practice Kangaroo Mother Care from the earliest possible moment.
Because every baby deserves the warmth, comfort and protection of a parent’s embrace.
🤝 The KMC Challenge 2026 is part of the “The Power of Embrace in Therapy” project, implemented by ARNIS with the support of the OMV Petrom Foundation, through the “Today. Together.” funding programme (2025 edition).
Ways to Support ARNIS
Would you like to help improve the lives of babies in neonatal units?
You can support ARNIS by making a donation, volunteering, or sharing our resources with friends or family whose baby was born prematurely.
Children born prematurely need informed parents, a supportive community, and a healthcare system that understands the importance of their development from the very first days of life.
ARNIS is building a model of care centred on the family and on the neurodevelopment of newborns admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care.
If you would like to be part of this change, you can support ARNIS projects through:
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monthly card donations at arnis.ong/doneaza
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a recurring monthly donation of €5 by texting PREMATUR to 8835
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redirecting 3.5% of your income tax at f230.arnis.ong
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corporate sponsorships; sponsorship agreements are available at arnis.ong/doneaza
