What is the initial action if a newly delivered newborn is not breathing?

When a newly delivered newborn is not breathing, the first and most crucial step is to dry, warm, and stimulate the baby. This action is essential because newborns often require assistance in transitioning from a protected intrauterine environment to breathing air. Drying the baby helps to prevent hypothermia, which is critical since newborns can lose heat quickly.

Warming the neonate is important to maintain their core body temperature. Stimulation can involve rubbing the baby’s back or tapping their feet to encourage them to take their first breaths. This sequence of actions is aimed at stimulating the newborn's respiratory drive effectively and can often be sufficient to resolve the issue without further intervention.

Administering oxygen may be necessary if the initial interventions do not lead to adequate breathing and the newborn still shows signs of distress. However, it is not the first action taken. Similarly, calling for advanced care or performing chest compressions would be considered only if the newborn shows no response after these initial steps have been taken, as such actions are reserved for more severe cases where the baby remains apneic or fails to breathe adequately after stimulation.