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Transforming newborn survival
Our vision is a world where no baby dies preventably
Help us give babies the first embrace they need
Over 2 million newborns die annually; 4 every minute. Most can be saved.
Low Birth Weight (LBW)
80% of these deaths are in underweight babies (less than 2.5kg), most of whom are premature. 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 developing countries.
Care Gap
Classical incubator-based care for these newborns is highly resource intensive, making it is infeasible in many developing countries. It is also inferior to the alternative and is no longer the recommended WHO standard.
We work with health systems to save newborn lives
First Embrace is a charity working with health systems to provide WHO standard neonatal care where it is needed.
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) comprises immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between caregiver and newborn, with exclusive breast milk feeding support and training on signs a baby is unwell. This directly targets the two leading causes of neonatal death among premature and underweight newborns. It requires no specialised equipment and apart from the breast milk feeding all caregivers can deliver it.

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, where we work, are receiving any KMC.

We close gaps to make Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) the actual standard of care vulnerable newborns receive.
40%
Mortality Reduction
50%
Morbidity Reduction
Proven by a landmark meta-analysis of 21 peer-reviewed randomised control trials comparing KMC to incubator care, in developing countries. KMC significantly improves newborn morbidity outcomes such as systemic infection and dangerously low body temperature. It is one of the most proven interventions in global health and has been assessed by GiveWell to be comparably cost-effective to its best interventions.
Mothers act as their baby's incubator, providing warmth and regulation of their baby's heart and breathing. Support to exclusively breastfeed then allows the baby to develop more rapidly out of the danger period and not only survive but thrive.

KMC keeps babies alive then gives them a developmental boost.
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 without KMC the likely benefit is even larger.
Partner with us for our pilot
We will pilot our intervention in hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria from late 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.

We are keen to speak to donors who can support second stage funding. Please email info@firstembrace.org.uk
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.
Why Nigeria?
1
Potential for impact
In Nigeria 240,000 babies die every year in the neonatal period, the second-highest in the world. Few hospitals offer KMC services 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 2025. 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
500
Newborns Reached
LBW infants receiving WHO standard Kangaroo Care
78
Lives Saved
Estimated from proven mortality reduction effects and observed baseline mortality at first hospital
$2,548
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.
Live Impact Dashboards (available from Q2 2026)
Babies reached and babies saved
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.