Infant Care and Infant Health: For Patients and Consumers

General Information

• Other topics on NICHD’s site that might be of particular interest to new parents and infant caregivers include:
  • Breastfeeding and Breast Milk
  • Newborn Screening
  • Preconception Care and Prenatal Care
  • Preterm Labor and Birth
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Adventures in Parenting (PDF - 929 KB)
  (Available in Spanish as ¿Qué Significa Ser Padres? (PDF - 51 MB)
  This 67-page booklet is a guide to parenting based on RPM3 (Responding, Preventing, Monitoring, Mentoring, and Modeling). The booklet briefly explains how these terms pertain to parenting. Then it is divided into age groups (0 to 3 years, 4 to 10 years, and 11 to 14 years) to show how these principles apply during each stage of a child’s early life, using stories about children and their parents to illustrate.
• Safe to Sleep® Campaign
  This important educational effort, formerly known as the Back to Sleep campaign, focuses on actions parents and infant caregivers can take to help infants sleep safely and to reduce the risk of SIDS and other causes of infant death.
• NIH Health Information: Infant and Newborn Care
• NIH Research Results for the Public: Infant Health
• National Library of Medicine MedLinePlus
  • Infant and Newborn Care
  • Breastfeeding
  • Infant and Toddler Health
  • Preterm (or Premature) Infants
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Parent Information: Infants & Toddlers
  • Extreme Heat
• March of Dimes: Baby Care 101
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  • HealthyChildren.org
  • AAP Policy Statement on Breastfeeding
  • AAP Policy Statement on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
  • Safety and First Aid
  • Jaundice and Your Newborn
  • Car Safety Seats
• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
  • All About Sleep
  • Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Fact Sheet
  • Jaundice
  • A Primer on Preemies
• Heat Stress from Enclosed Vehicles (journal article)
• National Safety Council: Surviving Hot Weather (PDF - 47 KB)
• WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding

Services, Resources, and Support

Car Safety

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a professional organization whose mission is "to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents and young adults." Among the resources it offers parents is a listing of car seats and safety seat manufacturers . Also, AAP provides some general instructions on car seat installation.
• The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides a list of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on car safety.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a listing of inspection stations to help parents confirm that their infant's car seat is correctly installed. Find the inspection station nearest you.

Childhood Vaccinations

• The CDC has available a Parents' Guide to Childhood Immunizations.
• An online tool from the CDC allows parents to customize an immunization schedule for their child.

SIDS Risk Reduction

• The NICHD Safe to Sleep® Campaign summarizes the best ways to reduce an infant’s risk for SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
• Child Care Provider Guidelines for Safe Sleep is published by the AAP . The guidelines were written especially with child care providers in mind.

Tips and Tools for Infant Care and Safety

• Safety Checklists and more are available from the AAP . This website offers downloadable growth charts, immunization records, and safety checklists.
• The AAP offers an audio-recorded interview with Jatinder Bhatia, MD, FAAP, on infant nutrition and first foods.
• NICHD: Tummy Time explains the importance of making sure infants get enough time on their tummies to help their physical development.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers a booklet entitled The Safe Nursery (PDF - 603 KB). This booklet can help parents and caregivers prevent dangers from furniture and baby equipment.
  • To check for recalls and safety advisories for car seats, strollers, and other baby equipment, consult this online resource provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• The AAP maintains a listing of pediatric health care providers that can be accessed here: Find a Pediatrician.
• All About Sleep , produced by the AAFP, is an article (also available as an audio recording) that helps parents and caregivers understand their child's need for sleep and the child's sleep patterns. It also offers tips to establish a bedtime routine that can help the whole family get a good night's sleep.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from the NICHD, NIH, or HHS.