Background: The first month of life is undeniably the most vulnerable period for the child's survival. Despite child mortality has decreased by 56% from 1990 to 2015, the 2/3rds reduction stipulated by Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 has not been achieved. Main text: Whereas annual decrease of children aged 1-59 months has been 4.7% its equivalent in neonatal mortality (NM) was 3.1%. The targeted MDG 4 would have been possible if neonatal deaths had been declining at a rate achieved by the 1-59 month age group. NM has become an increasing driver of the overall global paediatric mortality, representing an increasing proportion of all annual child deaths. Thus, almost half of children under five die in the first month of life, and most of them, in the first week. The new Sustainable development goals (SDGs) specify an even more ambitious global target by 2030. In order to achieve this target, international community have to tackle main cause of deaths (CoD) among neonates, otherwise, the world will fail to significantly reduce overall child mortality. To improve evidence-based data on CoD is essential to know why children are dying. Innovative techniques such as the post-mortem minimally invasive tissue sampling may provide reliable data and thus contribute to better characterize mortality in this age group. Universal coverage of essential interventions tackling main CoD among neonates has the potential to reduce neonatal deaths by an estimated 71%, benefit women and children after the first month, and reduce stillbirths. Conclusion: The SDG target aims to reduce neonatal deaths to a maximum of 12 per 1000 live births in every country of the world by 2030. If every country achieves this target, approximately 5 million neonatal lives will be saved throughout the period 2017-2030 and all of the efforts focused in helping neonates go through "the golden first 28 days of life" will have been worthwile.