Essential Newborn Care, Unang Yakap

Campaign
by Anna Katharina on March 7, 2010

in Family,Nurse Quad,Period of Life

The Department of Health embarked on Essential Newborn Care , a new program to address
neonatal deaths in the country. Under the umbrella of the Unang Yakap Campaign, Essential
Newborn Care is an evidenced based strategic intervention aimed at improving newborn care
and helping cub neonatal mortality.

The Essential Newborn Care package is a four-step newborn care time-bound intervention

undertaken to lessen newborn death.

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1. Immediate and thorough drying to stimulate breathing after delivery of the baby
2. Provision of appropriate thermal care through mother and newborn skin-to skin
contact maintaining a delivery room temperature of 25-28 degrees centigrade and
wrapping the newborn with clean, dry cloth.
3. Properly timed clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord, (1-3 minutes or until cord
pulsation stops)
4. Non-separation of the newborn and mother for early breast-feeding. Immediate
latching on and initiation of breastfeeding within first hour after birth.

Post-natal care required within 24 hours after birth also includes

 Cord care
 Breastfeeding
 Vitamin K injection
 Eye prophylaxis
 Delayed bathing until 6 hours of life
 BCG and first dose of Hepatitis B Immunization
 Newborn screening

The Essential Newborn Care Package aims to reduce newborn mortality rate from 13 deaths
(2006 FPS, NSO) to 10 per 1000 live births by 2015.