# Essential Newborn Care and India Newborn Action Plan

> Essential newborn care and the India Newborn Action Plan for NEET-PG Paediatrics cover birth-care steps, birth vaccines and 2030 neonatal mortality targets.

- Canonical URL: https://prepelephant.com/topics/neet-pg/paediatrics/essential-newborn-care-and-india-newborn-action-plan
- Exam / course: NEET-PG · Subject: Paediatrics
- Publisher: PrepElephant (https://prepelephant.com) — Prepared and reviewed by the PrepElephant Academic Review Team
- First published: 2026-10-14
- Last updated: 2026-10-14
- Reference basis: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics; India Newborn Action Plan
- How to cite: "Essential Newborn Care and India Newborn Action Plan", PrepElephant, https://prepelephant.com/topics/neet-pg/paediatrics/essential-newborn-care-and-india-newborn-action-plan

## Direct answer

Essential newborn care is the set of routine steps every baby needs at birth and in the first hours, including drying, warmth, delayed cord clamping, early breastfeeding and birth-dose immunisation. The India Newborn Action Plan builds on it, aiming for single-digit neonatal mortality and stillbirth rates by 2030, with states expected to follow by 2035. Its priority is babies born too early, too small or sick.

## What you must remember

- **Cord clamping:** delayed for at least one minute, which WHO recommends, once the baby is breathing and stable.
- **Warmth:** drying and skin-to-skin contact keep the baby warm, and kangaroo mother care supports thermal stability.
- **Breastfeeding:** started within the first hour of life, with exclusive breastfeeding and no prelacteal feeds.
- **Vitamin K:** 1 mg intramuscular at birth to prevent haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
- **Birth vaccines:** hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours, with BCG and oral polio zero dose at birth under the Universal Immunisation Programme.
- **Cord care:** dry cord care is the default, with chlorhexidine applied where national guidance advises, mainly for home births.
- **INAP target:** single-digit neonatal mortality and stillbirth rates by 2030, with individual states aiming by 2035.
- **Priority groups:** babies born too early, too small or sick, who account for most newborn deaths.

## The routine sequence at birth

Routine care is a sequence that begins in the delivery room and continues through the first hour. Each step is simple, but examiners test the timing.

1. **Dry and stimulate:** Dry the baby immediately and stimulate breathing, while placing the baby skin-to-skin on the mother's chest.
2. **Keep warm:** Maintain warmth with a dry cloth and skin contact, since hypothermia is a common threat to newborns.
3. **Delay cord clamping:** Clamp the cord after at least one minute, once the baby is breathing and stable.
4. **Start breastfeeding:** Initiate breastfeeding within the first hour, with no water, glucose or prelacteal feeds.
5. **Give vitamin K:** Administer 1 mg intramuscular vitamin K at birth to prevent haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
6. **Give birth vaccines:** Give the hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours, with BCG and oral polio zero dose.

The India Newborn Action Plan converts these steps into facility and community targets, tracked through neonatal and stillbirth rates. It operates within the existing RMNCH+A framework of the National Health Mission. Facility-based kangaroo mother care is prioritised for babies under 2 kg.

## Where the exam tries to catch you

Routine newborn care questions test the timing of each step and the target year.

- **Trap:** clamping the cord immediately to prevent hypothermia. — **Correct:** delayed clamping for at least one minute is recommended, since it improves the infant's haemoglobin and iron stores.
- **Trap:** giving water or glucose before breastfeeding. — **Correct:** exclusive breastfeeding is recommended, with no prelacteal feeds.
- **Trap:** omitting vitamin K for a home delivery. — **Correct:** every newborn needs 1 mg intramuscular vitamin K at birth, wherever the baby is born.
- **Trap:** confusing the INAP targets with the global sustainable development goal. — **Correct:** INAP sets India's own single-digit targets, which are separate from the global goal.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the recommended dose of vitamin K for newborns at birth in India?

Newborns in India receive 1 mg of vitamin K given intramuscularly at birth. This dose prevents haemorrhagic disease of the newborn. Early intramuscular dosing is the standard recommendation for every baby.

### When should the hepatitis B birth dose be given?

The hepatitis B birth dose should be given within 24 hours of birth under the national immunisation programme. It is given along with BCG and oral polio zero dose at birth. Timing matters because early dosing helps prevent transmission from an infected mother.

### What is the recommended timing of delayed cord clamping?

Delayed cord clamping is recommended for at least one minute after birth, as advised by WHO. The baby should be breathing and stable before clamping. It improves the infant's haemoglobin and iron stores.

### What does the India Newborn Action Plan aim to achieve?

The India Newborn Action Plan aims to achieve single-digit neonatal mortality and stillbirth rates by 2030. Individual states are expected to reach the same targets by 2035. It operates within the existing RMNCH+A framework of the National Health Mission.

### Which newborns are prioritised under the India Newborn Action Plan?

Babies born too early, too small or sick are prioritised under the India Newborn Action Plan, because they account for most newborn deaths. Facility-based kangaroo mother care for babies under 2 kg forms part of this priority. These groups need the most intensive follow-up.