Highest-Priority Actions for Newborn, 0 to 1
If you only do five things in this stage, do these.
Register the birth
Free within 21 days. Get the digital certificate.
Safe sleep, every sleep
On the back, on a firm flat surface, nothing in the cot.
Add baby to health insurance
Most policies give a short window, often 90 days.
Vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks
Pentavalent, polio, rotavirus and PCV.
Start solid foods at 6 months
Thick, iron-rich foods. Include egg and peanut paste early.
Every Step by Timeline Order
Skin-to-skin and breastfeed in the first hour
No honey, ghutti or water. Colostrum is the first protection.
Vitamin K and birth vaccines
Vitamin K, BCG, OPV-0 and hepatitis B.
Register the birth
Free within 21 days. Get the digital certificate.
First bath after 24 hours
Wipe gently and keep the baby warm. Nothing on the cord.
Before discharge: eye and jaundice checks
Ask for an eye (red reflex) check and a jaundice reading.
Car seat from the first ride home
Rear-facing, in the back seat. Never on a lap.
Hot days: keep the baby cool
Feed more often, light cotton, shade. Never leave a baby in a parked car.
Newborn hearing and blood screening
A hearing test, and a heel-prick test where your state offers it.
Safe sleep, every sleep
On the back, on a firm flat surface, nothing in the cot.
Vitamin D drops daily
400 IU a day through the first year, if your paediatrician agrees.
Know when a fever needs a doctor today
Any fever under 3 months old means a doctor the same day.
Add baby to health insurance
Most policies give a short window, often 90 days.
Postnatal checks at 2–3 days and 1–2 weeks
For mother and baby, after at least 24 hours in hospital following a normal birth.
Expect the ASHA's home visits
On days 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 after birth.
Sore, red breast? Know the new first steps
Keep feeding, use ice, take paracetamol. No hard massage or heat.
Calming a crying baby, and never shaking
Crying peaks at 6 to 8 weeks. If you feel overwhelmed, put the baby down safely and step away.
Tummy time every day
Build up to 30 minutes a day, awake and watched.
Mood check for mother and father
A short questionnaire (EPDS) for low mood and anxiety, for both parents.
Plot weight and length every month
At the Anganwadi or vaccine visit, on the WHO growth chart.
Get Baal Aadhaar and an ABHA health ID
The health ID keeps vaccine and doctor records together.
For a daughter: open a Sukanya Samriddhi account
From ₹250 a year. Check the current interest rate at the post office or bank.
Learn infant CPR and choking first aid
Under 1: five back blows, then five chest thrusts.
Mother's six-week check
BP, stitches or wound, bleeding, mood, haemoglobin and contraception.
Vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks
Pentavalent, polio, rotavirus and PCV.
Going back to work: plan feeding
Practise expressing milk, and ask HR about nursing breaks and the crèche.
Start solid foods at 6 months
Thick, iron-rich foods. Include egg and peanut paste early.
Vaccines at 9 months
MR-1, and JE where it is common.
What Elders Suggest vs What Medicine Says
We honor caring tradition while keeping mothers and children medically safe.
Baby oil massage (sunflower or coconut)
Safe & EncouragedBenefits shown in preterm babies. Avoid mustard oil on newborn skin; no oil in ears or nose.
Janam ghutti, honey or water at birth
Traditional / NeutralDelays breastfeeding and carries infection and botulism risk.
Discarding colostrum
Traditional / NeutralColostrum protects the baby. Feed it.
Kajal or surma on the baby
Traditional / NeutralCan contain lead and cause eye infections.
Ghee, ash or cow dung on the cord
Traditional / NeutralRisk of tetanus and sepsis. Keep the cord clean and dry.
Swaddling
Safe & EncouragedFine with hips loose and baby on the back. Stop when the baby starts to roll.
40-day rest after birth, with support
Safe & EncouragedHelps recovery.
Restricting the mother's water, fruit or vegetables
Traditional / NeutralCauses dehydration and poor nutrition. Overheated rooms cause heat illness.
Water or rice water before 6 months
Traditional / NeutralDisplaces breast milk and raises infection risk.
Bathing the newborn on the first day
Traditional / NeutralWait at least 24 hours to keep the baby warm and protect the skin (WHO 2022).
Hot compresses and hard massage for a painful breast
Traditional / NeutralThey worsen the swelling. Ice, gentle strokes and continued feeding work better (Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine 2022).
Annaprashan at about 6 months
Safe & EncouragedRight timing for first foods. Harmful if done much earlier.
Gripe water
Traditional / NeutralNo proven benefit. Some brands contain alcohol or sugar.
Bed-sharing
Traditional / NeutralRoom-share instead. Never bed-share after alcohol or sedatives, with a smoker, on a sofa, or with a preterm baby.
Ear piercing
Traditional / NeutralFine with sterile technique.
Mundan
Traditional / NeutralCulturally fine. 'Thicker hair afterwards' is a myth.
Baby walkers
Traditional / NeutralCause injuries and delay walking.
Teething gels with benzocaine, amber necklaces
Traditional / NeutralRisk of a blood disorder and strangulation.
Cold sponging or alcohol rubs for fever
Traditional / NeutralUse paracetamol by weight and fluids, on advice.
Ghee in complementary food
Safe & EncouragedGood energy in moderation.