When your newborn arrives, you are in for plenty of surprises, including baby getting ill. We suggest you prepare a baby first-aid kit before their arrival so you are prepared when pain, congestion and fever present.

Having the right supplies on hand ready to care for your little one when they get sick provides peace of mind when it’s needed most. Here’s how to stock a baby first-aid kit.

start with the right container

Find a suitable container large enough to store everything in one place. Make sure it is portable, easy to carry, durable and waterproof. Most importantly, it must be lockable and kept out of the reach of other children in the home.

 baby first-aid kit essentials

A digital thermometer

Every first-aid kit needs a digital thermometer. Most babies have a normal body temperature ranging from 36.5 °C to 38 °C. A fever occurs when their temperature goes above 38 °C. Fever in babies can be scary, so having a reliable way to check your tiny tot’s temperature is essential. It’s best to spend a little more to buy a high-quality thermometer.

WebMD explains the different types of thermometers:

• Digital thermometers give you an accurate, quick result. They can be placed under your child’s armpit and held there for the length of time given in the instructions.
• Rectal thermometer. While this is the most accurate thermometer, your baby may feel uncomfortable when it is inserted.
• Ear thermometers give the reading in one second, but can be costly.
• A strip-type thermometer is the most basic thermometer, which you put on the child’s forehead to see the temperature. However, it is not that accurate as it only measures the body’s surface temperature.

A nasal aspirator and saline nasal drops

Babies under six months old rely almost entirely on their noses to breathe, so even a little congestion can make feeding and sleeping a challenge. While colds and infections can worsen congestion, your baby might have a stuffy nose even when they aren’t sick. Paired with saline nasal drops, a nasal aspirator gently clears stuffy noses, so your baby can breathe more easily.

Nail clippers

For everyday hygiene, include baby-safe nail clippers. Tiny nails grow faster than you’d think (at about 0.1 mm per day) and can be surprisingly sharp and cause scratches on their delicate skin. Regular trimming helps prevent accidental scratches.

Tweezers

A crucial tool in a baby first-aid kit. Use them to gently extract splinters, stingers or other small foreign objects from your baby’s skin to reduce the risk of infection and ease their discomfort.

Gauze, bandages, creams and lotions

As your baby grows and begins exploring the world (and bumping into it), minor cuts and scrapes are bound to happen. Stock your kit with plasters, sterile gauze, hypoallergenic adhesive bandages and mild antiseptic cream to clean and protect small wounds. Pack an antihistamine cream to reduce swelling and itching from insect bites or stings. Calamine lotion can also be used to treat rashes, sunburn and allergic reactions, and is very effective for treating sunburn and chickenpox.

Teething gels and powders

Teething typically starts around six months old and can cause swollen gums, excessive drooling, a mild fever, irritability, crying, and disrupted sleep. Some teething gels can help numb sore gums.

Medication to fight pain and fever

Colic is most common during the first six weeks of life and affects up to one in four newborns. Babies with colic are often fussy, gassy and cry a lot and don’t sleep well. The good news is it typically resolves on its own by the time a baby is three to four months old. Using a paracetamol-based alcohol- and sugar-free syrup or drops may help ease some of the discomfort. Panado®’s paracetamol-based infant drops are suitable for babies from the age of 3 months. The calibrated dropper ensures that parents provide the correct amount of medication, based on the weight and age of their child.

A baby’s immune system is still developing and they’re more likely to pick up infections. Treating pain and fever with paracetamol is a quick way to resolve their pain and lower their temperature. So stock up with a peppermint- or strawberry-flavoured syrup to make taking medicine more palatable.

Remember to always administer using a medicine measure or a syringe and never exceed the recommended dose for your child’s age and weight.

Find more information about first-aid in the home here and here.

safety first

Consider these other safety essentials:

• Add a first-aid manual so you can quickly access information.
• Make sure your babysitters and other caregivers know where the kit is and how to use it.
• Keep the first aid kit well-stocked.
• Replace items that are close to their expiry date.