Baby First Aid Basics: What Every Parent Should Know

Thinking about emergencies involving your baby can feel frightening, but learning a few baby first aid basics can make it easier to recognise when something is seriously wrong and act quickly.

The essentials are knowing when to call 999, how to respond if your baby is choking or not breathing normally, what to do immediately for burns and serious bleeding, and how to respond if they swallow something dangerous.

Written guidance is useful for refreshing your memory, but it cannot replace practical first aid training. The NHS strongly recommends that parents and carers consider a first aid course, where techniques such as baby CPR and choking first aid can be practised properly.

Start by making sure it is safe to help

If an accident happens, your instinct will probably be to reach your baby immediately.

First, quickly check that approaching them will not put either of you in further danger.

This matters particularly with hazards such as electricity, traffic, fire or chemicals.

For example, the NHS advises switching off the power before approaching a child who has been electrocuted. If you cannot do this, the child should be separated from the electrical source using a wooden or plastic object rather than touching them directly.

Once the immediate area is safe, check your baby and get emergency help if needed.

Know when to call 999

Some situations need an ambulance rather than waiting to see whether your baby improves.

NHS guidance says to call 999 if a baby or child:

stops breathing
is struggling to breathe
is choking
is unconscious or seems unaware of what is happening
is limp or floppy
will not wake up or cannot keep their eyes open
has a seizure or fit
has severe swelling of the mouth, lips, throat or tongue
has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
has been severely injured
has swallowed poison or too much medicine
is bleeding heavily or has a wound that will not stop bleeding

If you are unsure whether it is safe to move your baby after a serious accident, keep them warm and call 999 for advice.

If your baby is choking

Choking happens when something blocks the airway. Food is a common cause in babies and young children, but small household objects can also be responsible.

Choking and gagging are not the same thing.

Gagging is usually noisy. A baby may cough, retch, make sounds or push their tongue forwards.

Choking can be quiet because the airway may be blocked. A baby who is choking may be unable to breathe properly, cry or cough effectively.

If your baby is choking and cannot breathe properly, shout for help and remove them from their high chair if they are sitting in one.

NHS guidance advises supporting the baby’s chest and chin and giving up to 5 sharp back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

If the blockage does not clear, follow the current NHS baby choking sequence, which includes chest thrusts for babies under 1.

Do not use abdominal thrusts on a baby under 1.

Do not blindly put your fingers into your baby’s mouth. You could push the object further into the airway.

If the blockage does not clear, call 999 and continue following emergency first aid guidance until help arrives.

Because the technique needs to be performed correctly, learning it practically through a recognised baby first aid course is strongly worthwhile.

If your baby becomes unresponsive

If your baby is unresponsive, check whether they are breathing normally.

The NHS advises looking for movement of the chest, listening at the nose and mouth for breathing sounds and feeling for air movement.

Do not mistake occasional gasps or irregular breaths for normal breathing.

If your baby is unresponsive and is not breathing normally, call 999 and begin resuscitation.

The emergency call handler can give you basic life-saving instructions over the phone, including CPR guidance.

If another person is present, ask them to call 999 while you begin helping your baby.

Baby CPR basics

CPR is used when a baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

The NHS resuscitation sequence for a baby under 1 includes 5 initial rescue breaths followed, if there are no signs of life, by cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths.

For an infant, compressions are given on the breastbone. NHS guidance describes compressing approximately one-third of the depth of the chest, around 4cm, at a rate of about 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

The exact positioning and technique matter, which is why this is a skill best learned practically rather than for the first time during an emergency.

If you ever need to perform CPR and cannot remember every detail, call 999. The call handler can guide you while emergency help is on its way.

Continue resuscitation until your baby shows signs of life or qualified help takes over.

What to do for a burn or scald

Babies can be burned by hot drinks, bath water, cooking equipment and other hot surfaces or liquids.

If your baby is burned or scalded, the NHS advises immediately cooling the affected area under cool running water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove clothing, jewellery, nappies, socks or shoes near the burn where possible, but do not pull away anything that is stuck to the skin.

Keep the rest of your baby warm while cooling the burn so they do not become too cold.

After cooling, cover the burn loosely with cling film laid over the area, a clean plastic bag where appropriate, or clean non-fluffy material.

Do not apply ice, butter, toothpaste, creams, oils or ointments to the burn.

Babies have delicate skin, so seek medical advice about burns and scalds. For a serious burn or if your baby appears seriously unwell, call 999.

What to do about serious bleeding

Small cuts and scratches are a normal part of childhood, but heavy or uncontrolled bleeding is an emergency.

Call 999 if your baby is bleeding heavily or has a cut that will not stop bleeding.

For bleeding wounds, first aid generally involves applying firm pressure with a clean dressing or cloth while help is arranged.

If something is embedded in a wound, do not pull it out yourself.

For minor cuts and grazes, clean the wound and follow NHS advice on appropriate dressings and signs of infection.

If you are unsure whether a wound needs professional treatment, contact NHS 111.

If your baby swallows something dangerous

Babies explore with their mouths, which makes medicines, cleaning products, button batteries, magnets and other small objects particularly important to keep securely out of reach.

If your baby swallows poison or too much medicine, NHS guidance says to call 999.

Do not try to make your baby sick unless a healthcare professional specifically tells you to.

Button batteries and magnets are especially dangerous.

If your child swallows a button battery or magnet, or you think they may have swallowed one, the NHS advises calling 999 or taking them straight to A&E.

Do not wait for symptoms to develop.

If possible, take the product packaging or information about what may have been swallowed with you, but do not delay emergency care to find it.

If your baby has an electrical injury

Electricity can continue to pose a danger to you as well as your baby.

Turn off the electrical supply before touching a child who is still in contact with the source.

If you cannot switch off the power, NHS guidance advises using a non-conductive wooden or plastic object to move the child away from the electrical source.

Once it is safe, check whether your baby responds and is breathing normally.

If your baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 and start CPR.

Electrical injuries need medical assessment even when the injury is not obvious from the outside.

If you think your baby has broken a bone

A significant fall or accident can sometimes cause a fracture.

Signs can include pain, swelling or a limb sitting at an unusual angle.

If you suspect an injury to your baby’s neck, spine or pelvis, call 999 and do not move them unless there is an immediate danger. Unnecessary movement can make a serious injury worse.

If you cannot move your baby without causing significant pain, call an ambulance.

For other suspected fractures, support the injured area as gently as possible and seek medical assessment.

What to do during a seizure

Seeing a baby have a seizure can be extremely frightening.

If your baby has a seizure or fit, NHS accident guidance advises calling 999.

Do not put anything into your baby’s mouth.

Move nearby objects away where possible so they cannot injure themselves, and follow the emergency call handler’s instructions.

A first seizure needs urgent medical assessment. Do not assume that shaking or unusual movements are harmless, particularly if your baby has never been assessed for them before.

Severe allergic reactions need emergency help

A severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, can develop quickly.

Warning signs can include swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue and difficulty breathing.

Call 999 if your baby has signs of a severe allergic reaction.

If your baby has already been prescribed emergency medicine for a known allergy, follow the individual emergency plan given by their healthcare team.

Do not wait to see whether serious breathing or swelling symptoms improve by themselves.

Keep a simple first aid kit at home

A basic first aid kit can make minor accidents easier to manage.

Useful items may include:

sterile dressings
plasters
sterile gauze
bandages
disposable gloves
a digital thermometer
saline for cleaning minor wounds
first aid instructions

Store the kit somewhere adults can reach easily but children cannot.

Check it occasionally and replace anything that has been used or passed its expiry date.

Medicines should be stored safely according to their instructions and kept out of children’s sight and reach.

Prevention is part of first aid too

Knowing emergency first aid matters, but preventing common accidents is equally valuable.

As your baby becomes more mobile:

keep coins, batteries and small objects out of reach
keep medicines and cleaning products locked away
move hot drinks away from edges
secure furniture that could tip
supervise your baby while they eat
prepare solid foods with choking risk in mind
keep plastic bags out of reach
check toys for loose or unsuitable small parts

Babyproofing is not a one-time job. Your baby’s abilities can change quickly, so repeat your safety check as they learn to roll, crawl, pull themselves up and walk.

Why a baby first aid course is worth considering

Reading about first aid gives you useful knowledge, but physical skills are easier to understand when someone demonstrates them.

A practical course can teach you how much force to use for back blows, where to position your fingers for infant CPR and how to respond in a simulated emergency.

The NHS recommends first aid training for parents and carers and points to recognised providers including the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and local NHS ambulance services.

Your health visitor or local children’s centre may also know about courses available in your area.

Taking a course does not mean expecting something bad to happen. It simply gives you a chance to practise skills before you might ever need them.

When to get professional advice

Call 999 if your baby stops breathing, is struggling to breathe, is choking, is unconscious or unresponsive, will not wake, has a seizure, has severe swelling of the mouth or throat, is bleeding heavily, has swallowed poison or too much medicine, or has suffered a severe injury.

Call 999 or go straight to A&E if you think your baby has swallowed a button battery or magnet.

For injuries or symptoms that do not appear immediately life-threatening but still concern you, contact NHS 111, your GP or another appropriate healthcare service.

If you are uncertain whether your baby needs medical attention, NHS 111 can help assess what level of care is appropriate.

In an emergency, focus on getting help rather than trying to remember every detail perfectly. Call 999, follow the call handler’s instructions and use the first aid skills you know until professional help arrives.