The vast majority of newborn babies require no help in adapting to their new extrauterine life. They rapidly clear lung fluid, create a functional residual capacity and breathe on their own within seconds of their birth. However, it is very difficult to predict the baby who will struggle with this transition and hence need resuscitation, and so we start this chapter with the comment that any person involved in the delivery of care to the pregnant woman should understand the principles of newborn resuscitation. This includes medical students on their obstetric attachment, student midwives in training, midwives, obstetricians and obstetric anaesthetists, neonatal nurse practitioners, physician associates, neonatologists and paediatricians.