Table 1. Newborn services at various levels of facilities.

	NBCC (at all delivery points)	NBSU (FRUs/CHCs)	SNCU (sub-district/district)
Services to be provided
Care at birth	Resuscitation, provision of warmth, prevention of infection, early initiation of breastfeeding and weighing the newborn	Resuscitation, provision of warmth, prevention of infection, early initiation of breastfeeding and weighing the newborn	Resuscitation, provision of warmth, prevention of infection, early initiation of breastfeeding and weighing the newborn
Care of normal newborn	Breastfeeding/ feeding support	Breastfeeding/ feeding support	Breastfeeding/ feeding support
Care of sick newborn	Identification and prompt referral of ‘at risk' and ‘sick' newborn	Management of low birth weight infants ⩾1800 g with no other complication, phototherapy for newborns with hyper-bilirubinemia, management of newborn sepsis, stabilization and referral of sick newborns and those with very low birth weight (rooming in) and referral services	Managing of low birth weight infants <1800 g, managing all sick newborns ⩾1800 g or those who have any complications from delivery like asphyxia, meconium aspiration (except those requiring mechanical ventilation and major surgical interventions), follow-up of all babies discharged from the unit and high risk newborns and referral services
Infrastructural requirements
Beds	1	4	12–20
Area (sq. feet)	20–30	200	Min. 1200 (100 sq. ft/extra bed)
Location	Within labor room & OT	Close to the labor room	Vicinity of labor room
Civil work	None or minimum	Power supply, water supply, lighting, floor spaces and walls	Power supply, floor spaces, walls, water supply, lighting and temperature
Personnel
Specialist	0	0	1
Doctors	1	1	3
Nurses	1	4	10
ANMs	1	–	–

Abbreviations: ANM, auxillary nurse midwife; CHCs, community health centres; FRUs, first referral units; NBCC, newborn care corner; NBSU, newborn stabilization unit; OT, operation theater; SNCU, special newborn care unit. NBCC: FRUs and DHs (District Hospitals): also set up NBCC in operation theaters, where cesarean sections are conducted. NBSU: In addition, two beds in the postnatal ward should be dedicated for rooming-in. SNCU: 12 beds for catering to 3000 deliveries per year and 4 beds may be added for each 1000 deliveries. Additional space for step-down unit (at least 30% of SNCU beds, for example, for a 12-bedded unit, 4 beds for step-down are required).

Adapted with permission from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.¹²