Bayside parents are being urged to embrace kangaroo care during this year’s Kangaroo-a-thon that helps highlight how skin-to-skin contact supports newborn development and family bonding.
The annual initiative invites parents of babies in the Neonatal Unit to hold their baby skin-to-skin, promoting connection, comfort, and improved health outcomes for both babies and parents.
Both of Ormiston mum Rhonda Wilson’s children, toddler Lucy and baby Charlotte, spent time in the Neonatal Unit.
“Because Lucy was so premature and needed so much help when she was born, I couldn’t hold her for days. I could only touch her foot,” she said. “The first time I could finally hold Lucy and do proper skin-to-skin felt like everything slowed down and I could actually hold my baby.
“Having Lucy skin-to-skin with me has been important for bonding and helping us connect. I love the feeling of her being on me and her skin being on me.
“With Charlotte, who is almost two, I found skin-to-skin regulated her so well. Even at home, if she was inconsolable, I’d put her on my chest and she would instantly calm down.
“It really warms me when I come in and see the nurses holding Lucy or giving her cuddles. They’ll say, ‘She had big cuddles with me last night,’ and that really makes me happy.
“The neonatal staff at Redland Hospital are the most incredible people I’ve ever come across. I felt completely comfortable leaving Lucy in their hands when I couldn’t be there.”
Redland Hospital Neonatal Unit Clinical Nurse Hannah said kangaroo care offered significant physical and emotional benefits, particularly for premature and medically vulnerable babies.
"We always recommend kangaroo care or skin-to-skin because it fosters bonding, supports mum’s milk supply, and boosts maternal mental health," she said. "Skin-to-skin contact also regulates a baby’s temperature, heart rate, and breathing.
"A mother’s body can adjust her chest temperature to help warm or cool her baby as needed. It’s also beneficial for brain development.
“We encourage it from the earliest stages, even with very premature babies, wherever possible.”
Kangaroo-a-thon is held annually between 15 – 29 May 2026 to raise awareness of the importance of kangaroo care in neonatal settings and celebrate the role families play in their baby’s care journey.