The good doctors in Columbia were chuffed that an Australian was photographing their Kangaroo Care program.

The dedicated Bogata team headed by Dr Nathalie Charpak sat before a loud, family packed room. Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and siblings were all  learning to adopt Kangaroo Care which is a simple method of strapping a premature baby to a carer, skin to skin.

By using the outside of the human body as a natural incubator and thermostat Doctors are able to stabilised the baby’s heart rate, improve breathing, resulting in more successful breastfeeding for mothers, and earlier hospital discharge. The premmies still needed oxygen for feeding and sleeping, but I could see the great bonding benefits for all involved integrating the new addition into the family in those early crucial weeks.

Kangaroo Care, which started in Bogotá in 1978, is so successful it has spread from South Africa to Sweden and through out the world. Although developed countries have modified Kangaroo Care slightly it is one of the biggest Health success stories of all time and is now backed by the United Nations.