Background: Kangaroo mother care is an evidence-based intervention for preterm and low-birth-weight infants with proven effects in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. Despite the evidence-based benefits of kangaroo mother care, it is not widely implemented. In many cases, routine practices obstruct their consistent application, with barriers at the institutional, healthcare worker, maternal, and family levels. 
Aim: This study aimed to identify the barriers to the implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care among nurses and midwives in Kirkuk City hospitals.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals of Kirkuk City. A purposive non-probability sampling technique was used to recruit 163 nurses and midwives. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, applying both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.
Results: The findings indicated that nurses and midwives experienced a high level of perceived barriers to implementing KMC (70.6%). The most frequently reported barrier is the lack of experience or professional expertise (86.5%). System-related barriers such as insufficient support (81%) and high workload (80.4%) were also reported. A weak positive correlation was found between knowledge and perceived barriers (r =.214, p =.006), indicating that nurses and midwives with high knowledge perceive slightly fewer barriers. 
Conclusion: Nurses and midwives encounter significant barriers in the implementation of kangaroo mother care, with 70.6% reporting a “high” level of perceived barriers.