Objective: The objective of the study was to carry out a literature review on the humanization of nursing care in MMC applicability. Methods: A systematic review of LILACS, SciELO and MEDLINE databases was conducted in the English and Portuguese languages from 2013 to 2018, using the descriptors humanization of care, nursing and kangaroo method. Results: We found 18 studies involving the humanization of nursing care in the mother-kangaroo method; after applying the exclusion criteria, only 2 articles remained; ten of the articles were excluded due to the date of publication; three studies were presented only in summary form; two articles were duplicated in the databases, and one did not address the descriptors. Conclusion: It was verified that, despite the recognition of the importance of the technique, nursing professionals and puerperas often have limited knowledge, which can generate insecurity for their accomplishment.