Transforming newborn survival
Our vision is a world where no baby dies preventably
Help us give babies the first embrace they need
Help us give babies the first embrace they need
2.3 million babies died in in 2023. Most of them of preventable causes. That's 4 every minute.
Low Birth Weight
80% of these deaths are in underweight (LBW) babies (less than 2.5kg). This is the leading risk factor for neonatal mortality.
Geographic Inequality
Half of global neonatal deaths are in Africa. 96% of LBW births are in low and middle income countries (LMICs).
Care Gap
Health systems in LMICs lack the human and physical resources and health infrastructure to provide high quality neonatal care.
We close these gaps to save newborn lives
We work with hospitals and governments to close these gaps that prevent Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) being the standard care pathway. KMC has been recommended by the WHO as the standard of care for all LBW newborns since 2023 yet uptake remains low where it is needed. Lack of routine KMC indicators mean the number is hard to know, but proxy indicators suggest only around 10% of babies in Nigeria, for example, are receiving effective KMC.
KMC comprises immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, with exclusive breastfeeding support and training on signs a baby is unwell. Evidence suggests that at least 8 hours of skin to skin is required for this to be effective in reducing mortality This directly targets the two leading causes of neonatal death among low birth weight infants: complications of LBW (poor feeding and temperature instability) and infection.
KMC comprises immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, with exclusive breastfeeding support and training on signs a baby is unwell. Evidence suggests that at least 8 hours of skin to skin is required for this to be effective in reducing mortality This directly targets the two leading causes of neonatal death among low birth weight infants: complications of LBW (poor feeding and temperature instability) and infection.
Mothers act as their baby's incubator, providing warmth and regulation of their baby's heart and breathing. Breastfeeding support then allows the baby to gain weight more rapidly and survive.
Partner with us for our pilot
We will pilot our intervention in hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria from February. We invite collaboration from organisations and individuals interested in supporting evidence based progress for newborn survival, at scale.
Whether you are a hospital committed to improving neonatal mortality or a government partner looking to build capacity to scale KMC, First Embrace offers a pathway to measurable, sustainable change.
While we currently don't have any funding gaps we are open to speak to donors who can support second stage funding.
Whether you are a hospital committed to improving neonatal mortality or a government partner looking to build capacity to scale KMC, First Embrace offers a pathway to measurable, sustainable change.
While we currently don't have any funding gaps we are open to speak to donors who can support second stage funding.
Hospitals
Join our program. Receive equipment, training and technical support to improve KMC care. We make it easy to improve your neonatal outcomes.
Implementation Partners
We are keen to speak to partners who can implement our program in new areas.
Government
Work with us to access to technical support and operational infrastructure to help your region scale effective KMC.
Evidence
40%
Mortality Reduction
50%
Morbidity Reduction
Proven by a landmark meta-analysis of 21 peer-reviewed randomised control trials mostly comparing KMC to incubator care, in LMICs. KMC significantly improves newborn morbidity outcomes, reducing sepsis, low temperature, and low blood sugar.
KMC keeps a baby alive and then gives it a head start on development.
KMC keeps a baby alive and then gives it a head start on development.
Consistently Effective
32-37%
Mortality reduction replicated across 4 systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Locally Proven
25%
Mortality reduction across Nigeria and 4 other countries in the WHO iKMC RCT (2021). This compared immediate KMC to KMC started after 3 days, so compared to incubators the likely benefit is even larger.
KMC is one of the most rigorously proven interventions in global health and has been assessed by GiveWell to be comparably cost-effective to its best interventions.
Why Nigeria?
1
Potential for impact
In Nigeria 240,000 babies die every year in the neonatal period, the second-highest in the world. Only 27% of hospitals offer KMC and how much of it is effective is unclear. The gap between supply and demand is vast.
2
Political Appetite
Nigeria's Every Newborn Action Plan targets KMC coverage for 85% of babies by the end of this year. We will work with the government to accelerate progress towards this goal.
3
Tractability
We leverage the expertise of existing Ambitious Impact charities in Nigeria to rapidly develop stakeholder relationships and save as many babies as possible.
Over time we want to save as many babies as possible who need KMC, wherever they are.
Pilot Impact Projections
600
Newborns Reached
LBW infants receiving WHO standard Kangaroo Care
95
Lives Saved
Estimated from proven mortality reduction effects from literature
$1,536
Cost Per Life Saved
Comparable to GiveWell's most effective global health charities
Our model will deliver cost-effective impact and generate missing data to drive government adoption and rapid scale.
Resources
First Embrace will make our evidence, and results freely accessible. We believe rigorous data and open sharing accelerate collective progress towards minimising preventable newborn deaths.
Stay Informed (available from Q2 2026)
Receive quarterly updates on our pilot results, new research findings, and opportunities for collaboration. Join a community of evidence-driven changemakers working to ensure every newborn receives the care they deserve.
Full Program (available from Q2 2026)
Organisational and implementation plan
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (available from Q2 2026)
Monitoring and evaluation methodology, data collection tools, and analysis protocols
Cost Effectiveness Analysis (available from Q2 2026)
Detailed breakdown of programme costs, mortality reduction estimates, and comparative analyses. Budgets.
Live Impact Dashboards (available from Q2 2026)
Babies reached and babies saved
Connect with First Embrace
Dedicated to saving newborn lives through Kangaroo Care.
2025. First Embrace is a fiscally sponsored project of Anti Entropy (EIN: 88-0967420), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. First Embrace is a Charity Entrepreneurship (Ambitious Impact) incubated charity.