Objective To explore the effect of kangaroo mother care on respiratory function of premature infants on noninvasive ventilation. Methods Sixty-four preterm infants on noninvasive ventilation were randomized into a control group and an intervention group of 32, receiving either routine care or additional kangaroo mother care respectively. Physiological indexes, blood gas indexes within 24 h of withdrawal of ventilation, rate of ventilator withdrawal failure within 7 days, and duration of ventilation were compared between the two groups. Results The respiratory rates and heart rates at the first, third, fifth, and seventh day were significantly lower, whereas SpO2 was significantly higher in the intervention group receiving kangaroo mother care for 2h than the control group (P<0.01 for all). The PaCO2 value was significantly lower, whereas the PaO2 and SaO2 values were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group within 24h of withdrawal of ventilation (P＜0.05, P<0.01). The intervention group had shorter ventilation duration compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Kangaroo mother care can enhance oxygenation and respiratory function of premature infants on noninvasive ventilation and shorten ventilation duration.