This issue of Children in the Tropics analyzes key issues relating to protecting the health of newborn infants. Many of the suggestions offered concern rudimentary health care situations in developing countries. Key issues are addressed in four sections. The first section discusses the early care and first medical examination of infants born in maternity hospitals. The value of breast feeding rather than formula feeding in developing countries is stressed and several minor health anomalies are listed. The section concludes with a discussion of desirable conditions for successful delivery and infant care at home. The second section reviews neonatal respiratory and cardiac pathologies and suggests techniques of dealing with several life-threatening situations which may arise at birth. Postnatal monitoring and participant training are recommended. The third section considers precautions relating to premature and small newborns, the care of fragile newborns, and common medical problems of fragile newborns. Problems typically experienced by hypertrophic newborns are also discussed. The fourth section covers several infant infections. A bibliography lists 2 English and 14 French texts. (BC)