Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part D (2025)

Kangaroo mother care (KMC), characterized by early, continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and preterm or low birth weight infant, has demonstrated benefits for neonatal survival and short-term outcomes. However, the long-term effects on neurocognitive and motor development remain incompletely synthesized. The objective is to systematically review and synthesize evidence on long-term neurocognitive and motor outcomes following early KMC in preterm and low birth weight infants. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. We searched SciSpace, PubMed, Google Scholar, and other databases through November 2025 for randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and meta-analyses examining neurocognitive and motor outcomes in children and adults who received KMC as neonates. Primary outcomes included cognitive function (IQ, executive function, attention, memory, academic performance) and motor development (gross motor, fine motor, neuromotor function) assessed at any age beyond infancy. We assessed study quality using appropriate risk of bias tools and synthesized findings narratively and, where possible, quantitatively. We identified 94 unique studies examining KMC and developmental outcomes. Evidence from randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up, particularly the Colombian RCT with 20-year outcomes, demonstrates persistent benefits of KMC on cognitive function, behavioral regulation, and brain structure. At 12 months corrected age, multiple studies consistently report improved neurodevelopmental and motor scores in KMC recipients compared to conventional care, with effects modified by KMC duration and intensity. Long-term follow-up into childhood and young adulthood shows sustained advantages in IQ, reduced behavioral problems, improved cognitive control, and structural brain differences (larger left caudate nucleus). Motor development benefits are most clearly documented in the first year, with less consistent long-term motor outcome reporting. Proposed mechanisms include improved physiologic regulation, enhanced breastfeeding, more protective parenting environments, and neuroplastic structural changes. Study quality varies, with limitations including attrition, heterogeneous KMC definitions, and inconsistent outcome measures across studies. Early KMC is associated with sustained neurocognitive benefits extending into childhood and young adulthood, with the strongest evidence for improved cognitive function, behavioral regulation, and early motor development. However, standardized long-term assessment of specific cognitive domains and motor function across multiple cohorts remains limited. Future research should employ harmonized neurocognitive batteries, standardize KMC dose and timing definitions, and conduct adequately powered meta-analyses of long-term domain-specific outcomes.