Keeping your baby safe as they grow is an important part of supporting their healthy development - and there’s lots you can do to create a safe, nurturing environment.
From pregnancy through childhood, simple steps and the right information can make a big difference. Health visitors are here to offer trusted, evidence‑based guidance to help you understand risks in everyday life, make informed choices, and feel confident about keeping your baby or child safe.
To help, the iHV has put together a range information and signposts you to reliable, trusted resources. You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental risks to our health. It is caused by the tiny particles, gases and chemicals that we breathe in every day - and babies and young children are especially sensitive to these pollutants, as their lungs and bodies are still developing and they breathe faster and closer to sources of pollution.
To help, the iHV has put together a range of information and signposts you to reliable, trusted resources. You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
Find out more about outdoor and indoor air pollution and ways you can reduce harm by watching the iHV video below:
➡️ External Resources:
Created by the iHV in collaboration with Healthier Together:
The iHV signposts you to reliable and trusted resources produced by the The Lullaby Trust for information on safer sleep. You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
The iHV signposts you to reliable and trusted resources produced by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT). You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
Babies and young children are especially sensitive to second-hand smoke because their lungs and immune systems are still developing and they breathe faster than adults. This means they take in more of the 4,000+ chemicals found in tobacco smoke when someone smokes nearby.
Exposure to smoke increases the risk of coughs, colds, ear infections, chest infections, asthma symptoms and SIDS.
Keeping your home and car completely smoke‑free is the best way to protect your baby or child, as smoke can linger in the air for hours even when you can’t see it.
If you are a smoker, many parents find that small changes - like stepping outside to smoke or thinking about ways to reduce smoke in shared spaces - can make a really positive difference for their baby or child.
The iHV signposts you to reliable and trusted national resources to support you to protect your child from second-hand smoke and quit smoking. You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
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NHS.UK: Passive smoking - protect your family and friends (including how to protect against second-hand smoke)
Dogs and children can build wonderful, loving friendships as they grow up together.
But it’s important to remember that even familiar dogs can behave unpredictably. Did you know that 91% of dog bites to children happen at home with a known dog?
To help you, the iHV signposts you to reliable and trusted national resources. You can explore these by clicking the sections below:
The iHV signposts you to reliable and trusted national resources to support you when travelling with your baby. You can explore these by clicking the section below:
We also recommend that you access our Little Sparks, Big Starts webpage created in collaboration with Ready to Relate to discover how the everyday moments of connection that build your baby’s brain and shape their future health and development.
External Resources
The iHV signposts to the following trusted resources for parents and carers:
