Postnatal care for mothers and newborns: brief

Overview

The days and weeks following childbirth—the postnatal period—are a critical phase in the lives of mothers and newborn babies. Most maternal and infant deaths occur in the first month after birth: almost half of postnatal maternal deaths occur within the first 24 hours, and 66% occur during the first week. In 2013, 2.8 million newborns died in their first month of life─1 million of these newborns died on the first day.