🧠 Wellbeing · 0–12 months
👃 Managing smells around your baby
Familiar voices, touch and smells can comfort babies. Strong fragrances and smoke may irritate their skin or airways, so a low-fragrance, smoke-free environment is a sensible starting point.
Simple choices
- Choose fragrance-free washing and skin products where practical.
- Keep worn shirts, scented comfort items, blankets and toys out of baby's sleep space.
Key habits
1. Go easy on fragrance
Avoid strong perfume or aftershave on skin and clothing that touches baby's face. Share the same request with all close caregivers.
2. Be cautious with oils and incense
Avoid essential-oil diffusers, incense and mosquito-coil smoke around baby. Do not give essential oils by mouth or apply them without qualified clinical advice. Store them out of reach.
3. Simplify laundry
Use an appropriate amount of fragrance-free detergent and rinse well. Skip scented softener if it irritates baby's skin; a 'hypoallergenic' label does not guarantee no reaction.
4. Keep home and car smoke-free
Do not smoke or vape around baby. Smoking outside, washing hands and changing smoke-exposed outer clothing can reduce exposure, but do not remove all risk.
5. Cuddle safely
For skin-to-skin, the adult must stay awake and watch baby's airway, with the face visible and nose and mouth clear. If sleepy, move baby onto their back in their own flat, firm, clear cot, with no pillows, blankets or toys. Keep hats off indoors.
A local detail, or your own experience with this guide? Write to the team
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When in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife. For a life-threatening emergency, call 112.