Background: Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit receive an average of 7 painful procedures daily yet less than half receive interventions to manage pain. Importantly, there are adverse long-term effects associated with untreated pain. Moreover, the developmental trajectory of an infant born preterm is further compromised by prolonged periods of separation from their mothers during their hospital stay that also impacts mother-infant relationships. Thus, there is a crucial need to minimize procedural pain and associated consequences. Kangaroo Care (KC) is an effective strategy for reducing procedural pain and promoting mother-infant interactions in infants demonstrated in multiple clinical trials and systematic reviews. Not known is the impact of consistent KC for pain on long term outcomes. The primary aim for this study is to determine if maternal KC provided during painful procedures in early life will mitigate stress release and will improve neurobehavioural outcomes in infants, decrease subsequent pain response, and enhance maternal-child interaction beyond the period of hospitalization.