Context

Kangaroo care (KC) is the practice of skin-to-skin contact between a parent and their infant. Although initially introduced for low-birthweight infants in Columbia because of scarce resources and high-neonatal morbidity,1 KC has been widely adopted in both underdeveloped and developed countries. Benefits include reduction in mortality, infection and hospital length of stay and improved breastfeeding and maternal–infant bonding.2 ,3 KC has also been shown to reduce procedural pain,4 but studies have focused on maternal rather than paternal KC. As fathers are increasingly actively participating in their infant's care, including provision of KC, it is important to determine whether paternal KC has the same effect on neonatal pain. …