Some of the most important things to know about keeping a baby safe are counterintuitive, poorly labelled on products, or simply not talked about enough. This post covers the guidelines most likely to catch new parents off guard — and debunks a number of myths that are still passed on as fact.
Feeding
No honey before 12 months
Honey — including raw, manuka, and cooked honey in baked goods — must not be given to babies under 12 months. Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. An infant's gut is not yet mature enough to prevent these spores from germinating and producing toxin. Adult digestive systems handle this without issue; a baby's cannot.
Infant botulism causes progressive muscle weakness, poor feeding, constipation, and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. It is rare but serious — and entirely preventable.
This applies to all forms of honey, including in herbal remedies, some teething products, and "natural" syrups. Always check ingredients.
No water before 6 months
Breast milk and formula are both predominantly water and contain everything a baby needs for the first six months — including hydration. Giving additional water before 6 months:
- Fills the stomach, reducing intake of milk and the calories and nutrients it provides
- Can cause water intoxication (hyponatraemia) — a dangerous dilution of the blood's sodium levels that can cause seizures, even from a relatively small amount of plain water
After 6 months, small amounts of water can be offered with meals. It does not need to be boiled once your baby is past 6 months (if your tap water is safe to drink).
Fruit juice is not a substitute for water — the NHS advises avoiding fruit juice entirely in the first year due to sugar content and damage to emerging teeth.
No cow's milk as a main drink before 12 months
Cow's milk can be used in cooking and mixed into food from 6 months, but it should not replace breast milk or formula as a main drink before 12 months. Cow's milk:
- Is low in iron and other nutrients a growing infant needs
- Contains proteins and minerals in concentrations that are hard on infant kidneys
- Does not provide the right balance of fats for brain development
After 12 months, full-fat cow's milk is suitable as a main drink. Semi-skimmed can be introduced from age 2; skimmed milk is not recommended before age 5.
No added salt before 12 months
Babies' kidneys cannot process salt the way adult kidneys can. Too much sodium puts direct strain on kidney function and can cause harm. Practically, this means:
- Do not add salt to anything you cook for your baby
- Be careful with shop-bought sauces, stocks, bread, and cheese — all of which can contain significant sodium
- Check labels on any "adult" foods you share with your baby
The NHS recommends babies under 12 months have less than 1g of salt per day. Most of this is naturally present in breast milk, formula, and unprocessed food.
No added sugar before 12 months
Sugar in early infancy establishes taste preferences that persist into childhood, increases the risk of tooth decay as teeth emerge, and provides calories with no nutritional value. This includes:
- Sugar added to purees or cereals
- Sweetened yoghurts (opt for plain, full-fat)
- Fruit juice and squash
- Flavoured rice cakes and snacks marketed at babies — always check the label
Weaning before 4 months is not safe
The NHS and WHO both recommend exclusive milk feeding until around 6 months, and advise firmly against introducing solids before 4 months. Before 4 months, the gut and kidneys are not ready to handle solid food, and the swallowing reflex is not sufficiently developed.
Signs of readiness for weaning (typically around 6 months) are:
- Sitting up with minimal support and holding their head steady
- Coordination to look at food, pick it up, and put it in their mouth
- Swallowing rather than pushing food back out with the tongue
Waking at night, watching you eat, and chewing fists are not reliable signs of weaning readiness — they're normal infant behaviours at this age.
No certain fish before 12 months — and limits for some fish beyond that
Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout) are excellent for infant nutrition and can be introduced from 6 months. However:
- Shark, swordfish, and marlin should not be given to babies or young children at all — their mercury content is too high
- Tuna should be limited to no more than 4 tins (or 2 fresh steaks) per week for children — again, due to mercury
- Raw or lightly cooked shellfish carries a risk of food poisoning and should be avoided in the first year
Sleep safety
Back to sleep — always
Placing a baby on their back to sleep is one of the single most effective things you can do to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The NHS and WHO are unambiguous on this.
The risk of SIDS from front or side sleeping is significantly higher. Once a baby can roll both ways independently, they can be left to find their own position — but always start them on their back.
Nothing in the cot
A safe sleep environment means a firm, flat mattress with no:
- Pillows
- Duvets or quilts
- Cot bumpers (including "breathable" mesh ones — the evidence for these is insufficient and the risk of entanglement remains)
- Soft toys
- Loose blankets (use a well-fitted sleeping bag instead)
These items can cause overheating, suffocation, or entanglement. This guidance applies for the first 12 months.
Car seats are not a safe sleep surface
It is common for babies to fall asleep in car seats, and that's fine during a journey. However, car seats should not be used as a regular sleep location outside of the car.
When a baby sleeps in a semi-reclined seat, their head can fall forward, narrowing the airway — a condition called positional asphyxia. This risk increases the younger and smaller the baby. The same applies to bouncers, swings, and pram seats when not in motion.
If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, transfer them to a flat surface as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.
Sofa co-sleeping is the highest-risk sleep scenario
The NHS advises parents never to sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair. The risk of SIDS in this setting is significantly higher than bed-sharing, which itself carries risks. Sofa sleeping is particularly dangerous because:
- Babies can slip into gaps between cushions
- Adults in deep or exhausted sleep cannot respond quickly
- The surface is soft and can obstruct breathing
If you think you may fall asleep while feeding, move to a firm bed rather than a sofa — and ideally have a second adult present.
Products and popular remedies
Baby walkers are not recommended
Baby walkers — frames with a seat that allow pre-mobile babies to move around — are not recommended by the NHS or the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. They:
- Do not help babies learn to walk (evidence suggests they may delay it slightly)
- Allow babies to reach hazards — hot drinks, stairs, sharp edges — at speed, before they have the judgement to avoid them
- Are associated with a significant number of accidental injuries each year
Gripe water: check the ingredients
Gripe water is widely used for colic and wind. Formulations vary significantly:
- Older formulations contained alcohol — these are now banned in the UK, but some imported or online products may still contain it. Always check.
- Some contain sodium bicarbonate, which is not recommended for long-term use in infants
- The evidence base for gripe water's effectiveness is limited
If you use gripe water, choose a UK-licensed product and check the label. If colic is severe or persistent, speak to your GP or health visitor.
Dummies reduce SIDS risk
This surprises many parents. Evidence consistently shows that dummy use during sleep is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS — though the mechanism isn't fully understood. The NHS supports offering a dummy at sleep times from around 1 month (once breastfeeding is established, if you are breastfeeding).
You do not need to replace a dummy if it falls out during sleep. Never attach it to a cord or string around the neck.
Sunscreen is not suitable for babies under 6 months
Infant skin before 6 months is highly permeable — it absorbs chemicals more readily than older skin. Sunscreen is not recommended for babies under 6 months. Instead:
- Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight, especially between 11am and 3pm
- Use shade, hats with a brim, and lightweight UV-protective clothing
After 6 months, a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen can be applied to exposed skin.
Nutrition
All babies need vitamin D supplements
Breast milk does not contain sufficient vitamin D. The NHS recommends:
- Breastfed babies: vitamin D drops from birth (8.5–10 micrograms per day)
- Formula-fed babies: vitamin D drops are not needed until they are drinking less than 500ml of formula per day, as formula is fortified — but should begin once formula intake drops below this
- All children from 1–4 years: 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day
Vitamin D deficiency in infancy can cause rickets — a preventable condition that affects bone development. Vitamin D drops (e.g. Healthy Start vitamins) are available free of charge to eligible families via the NHS Healthy Start scheme.
Rice cereal in a bottle does not help babies sleep longer
A persistent myth holds that adding baby rice or cereal to a bottle at bedtime will help a baby sleep through the night. It doesn't. Studies have consistently found no difference in sleep duration, and introducing solids via a bottle:
- Bypasses the normal developmental process of learning to eat
- Can cause overfeeding
- Is associated with a higher risk of obesity later in childhood
If your baby is waking frequently at night, the causes are almost always developmental — not hunger that more food will fix.
"Baby-led" doesn't mean unsupervised
Baby-led weaning is a valid and NHS-supported approach to introducing solids. However, a few points are sometimes misunderstood:
- Always supervise meals — never leave a baby alone with food
- Gagging is normal and different from choking; learn to tell the difference before you start
- Certain textures and shapes remain a choking hazard well beyond infancy: whole grapes, whole cherry tomatoes, whole nuts, raw apple, raw carrot, and large chunks of any firm food should be cut, grated, or cooked until soft
If any of this is new information, that's completely normal — much of it isn't prominently labelled on products or raised in routine appointments. When in doubt, your health visitor and GP are there to help, and the NHS website at nhs.uk is a reliable first reference for any feeding, safety, or development question.