Buying guide
The baby care kit
Thermometer, saline, nasal aspirator, small scissors, gauze. What goes in the kit at home, how to choose a thermometer and what not to give your child without a doctor.
In short
- The kit at home is short – a digital thermometer, saline, a nasal aspirator, small scissors or a nail file, gauze pads and a nappy-area cream.
- A digital rectal or underarm thermometer is the safest for a newborn. The infrared one is convenient but less accurate in small babies.
- No medicine, not even a fever reducer, without the paediatrician’s say-so – the dose is calculated by your child’s weight.
- A fever in a baby under 3 months is a reason to call the doctor straight away.
A baby’s care kit fits in a shoebox. You do not need more, and a large part of what is sold in “newborn” sets goes unused. This guide is about the items. For any question about your child’s health, the paediatrician has the last word.
What goes in the kit
| What | What for | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|
| Digital thermometer | Fever | With a flexible tip; one for the child only |
| Saline in ampoules | Blocked nose, eyes | Single-dose ampoules do not get contaminated |
| Nasal aspirator | Blocked nose | With a bulb or with a tube you suck through yourself |
| Small scissors with rounded tip or nail clippers | Nails | Or a soft file, in the first weeks |
| Sterile gauze pads | Umbilical stump, scrapes | As instructed at discharge |
| Nappy-area cream | Irritation | With zinc oxide or whatever your doctor recommends (see choosing nappies) |
| Soft hairbrush | Cradle cap | Optional |
| Bath thermometer | Bath water | Optional; your elbow does the same job (see choosing a baby bath) |
| Phone numbers | Emergencies | The paediatrician, 112 and the poison control centre, on the fridge |
That is all. Dosing syringes usually come with the medicines, and the rest is bought when the need arises.
The thermometer
- Digital, with a flexible tip, mercury-free. A cheap pharmacy one is just as accurate as an expensive one.
- Rectal, for small babies, is the most accurate measurement. Use a dedicated thermometer, with the tip dabbed with a little petroleum jelly, inserted only a centimetre or two.
- Underarm is good for a quick check. If it comes out high, confirm rectally.
- Infrared, on the forehead or in the ear, is convenient for older children. In newborns it is less reliable; do not rely on it alone.
Nose, eyes and nails
The nose. Babies breathe through their nose, and a blocked nose gets in the way of sucking. A few drops of saline soften the secretions; the aspirator removes them. The ones with a tube you suck through yourself, with a filter, are cheap and effective. The electric ones are convenient and more expensive. Do not use cotton buds in the nose or in the ears.
The eyes. Wipe them with a gauze pad soaked in saline or in boiled and cooled water, from the nose towards the ear, one pad for each eye.
The nails. In a newborn they are soft and grow fast. In the first weeks you can file them; then you cut them with the rounded-tip scissors, while they sleep, holding the finger firmly. Do not tear them off with your teeth.
What you do not buy or use without a doctor
- “Just in case” medicines, including fever reducers, without knowing the dose for your child’s weight. Ask the doctor what to keep at home and write the dose on the box.
- Decongestant nose drops meant for adults.
- Essential oils and menthol ointments on the baby’s skin or near their nose.
- Teas and remedies for colic without asking the doctor.
- Talcum powder, which can be inhaled.
- Big manicure and grooming sets with ten pieces. You use three.
Where to keep it
In a box with a lid, up high, away from your child and from sunlight, near where you change them. Put next to it a sheet with the doctor’s name and phone number, your child’s weight at the last visit and the recommended doses. For the safety of medicines and cleaning products when your child starts to move, see home safety.
Our recommendation
A digital thermometer, saline in ampoules, a simple nasal aspirator, small scissors with a rounded tip, sterile gauze pads and a nappy-area cream. These items are all included in the newborn checklist under the baby care category. Plus the phone numbers on the fridge. You add medicines only on the paediatrician’s instruction.
Frequently asked questions
Which thermometer is best for a newborn?
An ordinary digital thermometer with a flexible tip. Rectal measurement is the most accurate in small babies, and underarm (axillary) is a good method for a quick check. Infrared forehead or ear thermometers are convenient but less accurate in the first months and depend a lot on how they are used.
When should you call the doctor about a fever?
In a baby under 3 months, any temperature of 38 °C or more, measured rectally, is a reason to call the doctor straight away or go to A&E. In older children, call the doctor if the fever is high, lasts more than a day or two, or the child seems very ill, lethargic, refuses to eat or breathes with difficulty.
Can I keep paracetamol or ibuprofen at home for my baby?
You can, but only in the form and concentration recommended by the paediatrician, and give them only on their instruction. The dose is calculated by your child’s weight, and ibuprofen is usually not given below a certain age. Write the dose the doctor gave you on the box.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.