‘Golden Minute’ training key to cutting India’s newborn deaths, say experts on NRP day

New Delhi: On Nationwide Neonatal Resuscitation Program Day, doctors stressed that training birth attendants in the ‘golden minute’ of care can sharply reduce India’s neonatal mortality.

The first 60 seconds after birth — when a newborn must clear fluid, take its first breath, and shift circulation — are the most critical in medicine, said Dr. Umamaheswari Balakrishnan. “If any step fails, the process is unforgiving.”

Birth asphyxia remains a leading cause of newborn deaths in India. The Neonatal Resuscitation Program teaches frontline staff to assess, stimulate, and ventilate babies who don’t breathe at birth.

With over 25 million births yearly, experts say scale and regular drills matter more than equipment alone. “Competence at the bedside saves lives,” said an NRP trainer.

Hospitals marked the day with simulation exercises. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics is pushing for mandatory NRP certification for all delivery-room staff.

“The golden minute doesn’t wait,” Dr. Balakrishnan noted. “Get it right at scale, and the mortality curve bends.”