What is this intervention?
Essential newborn care (ENC) is a set of preventive measures including hygienic cord care, thermal control (including drying and wrapping, skin-to-skin, and delayed bathing), and early and exclusive breastfeeding. These measures are needed to ensure the survival of all newborns and to assist babies to breathe when needed. Early recognition or detection of sick newborns is also a component of ENC.

ENC comprises:

• Basic preventive newborn care—such as care before and during pregnancy, clean delivery practices, temperature maintenance, eye and cord care, and early and exclusive breastfeeding on demand day and night; and
• Early detection of problems or danger signs (with priority for sepsis and birth asphyxia) and appropriate referral and care-seeking.

Key MCHIP ENC Activities
MCHIP is working to introduce and scale-up ENC into country-level maternal and child health systems. Currently, the Program has ENC activities in Bangladesh, India, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.