Child safety and immunisations

Immunisations, pregnancy and early years

It is important for you and your child to receive certain immunisations during this time to protect from certain diseases - see NHS Choices - Vaccinations (opens new window) website. To find out why immunisations are so important, please read the information on the NHS Choices (opens new window) website.

Sleep safety

Every sleep needs to be a safe sleep - whether baby is sleeping at night or during the day, at home or away from home

To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (opens new window) (SIDS) the safe sleep advice is:

• Always place your baby on their back to sleep
• Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth
• Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months
• Breastfeed your baby, if you can
• Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
• Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby
• Avoid letting your baby get too hot
• Don't cover your baby's face or head while sleeping or use loose bedding
• To avoid accidents remove all pillows, soft bedding, cot bumpers and soft toys from the cot

Don't sleep in the same bed as your baby if you:

• Smoke
• Have drunk alcohol
• Have taken drugs (even prescription drugs that may make you drowsy
• Are extremely tired
• Your baby was born prematurely
• Your baby was of low birth-weight

Travel safety from birth

• Make sure the car seat is suitable for the age, height and weight of your baby/child
• Not all car seats fit all cars. If the seat isn't right the child won't be safe.
• When your child can walk - make sure they know to hold an adults hand or use walking reins.

Home safety

• Falls - Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Suffocation - Don't use duvets or pillows on young children's beds.
• Poisoning - Put medicines and cleaning products out of the reach of toddlers.
• Drowning - Never leave a baby or toddler alone in or near water.
• Choking - Cut big pieces of food into small pieces; grapes should be cut into quarters or halves..
• Burns and scalds - Put babies down before having a hot drink.
• Danger of house fires - Check the fire alarm regularly.

Immunisations

• The Immunisation Service (opens new window)
• Ask at your GP surgery

Child safety

• HCRG Care Group: Health Visiting (0 – 4 Years) (opens new window)
• Wiltshire Children's Centres
• Child Accident Prevention Trust website (opens new window)
• Wiltshire Substance Misuse Service (opens new window)

Immunisations

• Children vaccination planner (opens new window)
• Start4Life - vaccination schedule (opens new window)

• Spotty Book (opens new window)

Child safety

• Lullaby Trust safer sleep advice (opens new window)
• Lullaby Trust advice on co-sleeping (opens new window)
• Lullaby Trust Sleep information and advice for professionals working with parents with young babies and bereaved families (opens new window)
• Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) - Campaign Action Pack (opens new window)
• One Step Ahead Chart (opens new window) - (available from CAPT or Health Visitor)
• Green Cross Code (opens new window)
• Making the Link - Head Injuries (opens new window)
• Making the Link - Road Safety and Children (opens new window)

Immunisations

• The Green Book of Immunisation Against Infectious Diseases (opens new window)
• GOV.UK: Immunisation leaflets and guidance for parents (opens new window)

Child safety

• National Review into Sudden Unexpected death in infancy (opens new window)
• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Preventing Unintentional Injury in the Under 15s (opens new window)

• Public Health England (2017) Reducing Unintentional injuries in and around the home among children under 5 years old (opens new window)