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Advice and support on caring for babies and children, including guides on feeding, sleeping and common health conditions.

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COVID-19 Vaccine information
Find services
Everyday care
Care when you need it
Community and social care
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the hse provides public health and social care services to everyone living in ireland. hse.ie describes and gives contact details for all health services

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is home to the health a-z database of medical conditions and treatments

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and give details of hse organisational structure

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the hse provides public health and social care services to everyone living in ireland. hse.ie describes and gives contact details for all health services

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is home to the health a-z database of medical conditions and treatments

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and give details of hse organisational structure

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The HSE provides public health and social care services to everyone living in Ireland. HSE.ie describes and gives contact details for all Health Services, is home to the Health A-Z database of medical conditions and treatments, and give details of HSE Organisational Structure, Staff Information, Publications and Online Services

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All about immunisation and vaccination in Ireland. Children, Schools, Adults, Flu and other vaccines. Protect against preventable illness

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how do you bring down a high temperature

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Learn the signs and symptoms of a high temperature in a child. A normal temperature is between 36 and 36.8 degrees Celsius. Find out what you can do if your child has a high temperature.

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Feeding your baby: Introducing family meals

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Feeding your baby: Introducing family meals

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Breastfeeding Advice and support on starting breastfeeding 

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Breastfeeding Advice and support on starting breastfeeding 

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Get support and information from breastfeeding experts and lactation consultants on starting breastfeeding, hygiene tips and common breastfeeding questions.

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Advice on everyday care for your newborn, including changing nappies, dressing and bathing your baby, and bonding with your baby at home.

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Your Child's Immunisation: A guide for parents

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Your Child's Immunisation: A guide for parents

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My Pregnancy (2020)

My Pregnancy is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you through each stage of pregnancy and the first few weeks after birth.
Download the My Pregnancy book
My Pregnancy - Arabic (2020)

My Pregnancy is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you through each stage of pregnancy and the first few weeks after birth. This edition has text in English with Arabic translation.
Download the My Pregnancy - Arabic book
My Child: 0 to 2 years (2020)

My Child: 0 to 2 years is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you and your baby from birth to age 2.
Download the My Child: 0 to 2 years book
My Child: 0 to 2 years - Arabic

My Child: 0 to 2 years is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you and your baby from birth to age 2. This edition has text in English with Arabic translation.
Download the My Child: 0 to 2 years - Arabic book
My Child: 2 to 5 years (December2020)

My Child: 2 to 5 years is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you and your child from age 2 to 5.
Download the My Child: 2 to 5 years book
My Child: 2 to 5 years - Arabic

My Child: 2 to 5 years is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you and your child from age 2 to 5. This edition has text in English with Arabic translation.
Download the My Child: 2 to 5 years - Arabic book
Other books for parents

Cork University Maternity Hospital - Preparing for Birth and Parenthood

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My Pregnancy is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you through each stage of pregnancy and the first few weeks after birth. Download the My Pregnancy book My Pregnancy is a free book from the HSE with advice to help you through each stage of pregnancy and the first few weeks after birth.

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Safefood - weaning - Introducing solid foods

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Safefood - weaning - Introducing solid foods

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Weaning - introducing solid foods

As parents, we all want the best for our babies as they grow.

What babies and young children eat and drink is important for their health both now and in the future.

By about 6 months, babies will begin to need more iron and nutrients than breastmilk or formula milk alone can provide. Introducing solid foods at this age also helps them develop important skills such as learning to feed themselves and the different textures help develop muscles that are important for speech.

You can use meals you are already eating as a family for weaning babies onto solid foods. This means you know exactly what they are eating and you can help them become familiar with the tastes and textures of family meals.

In these videos Registered Dietitian Sarah Keogh shows us how to adapt family meals for weaning.

Butternut squash with pasta

Chicken and vegetables

Chicken and rice

Pasta Bolognese

Here's more information about weaning

The  Feeding your baby booklet guides you through introducing your baby to solid food.

My Child: 0 to 2 years is filled with expert advice from health professionals in the HSE.
Information on weaning from mychild.ie

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How to start your baby on solid food | safefood

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As parents, we all want the best for our babies as they grow. What babies and young children eat and drink is important for their health both now and in the future. By about 6 months, babies will begin to need more iron and nutrients than breastmilk or formula milk alone can provide.

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Breastfeeding - Healthy Childhood Programme - HSE.ie

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The Health Service Executive (HSE) owns and runs this website. The HSE collects and uses certain information about you when you use any of the HSE’s online services. Our website uses cookies and other related technologies such as pixels, beacons or tracking technology. We will use the terms “cookie…

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Learn about helping your child develop their social and emotional wellbeing, including bonding with your baby and understanding their cues.

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Vaccines for your child - parents support

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Vaccines for your child - parents support

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Vaccinations are quick, safe and effective. They protect your baby from some serious or even fatal diseases. Your child will get vaccines at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 13 months.

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Cot death (sudden infant death syndrome)

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Cot death (sudden infant death syndrome)

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Cot death is also called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby who seems healthy during sleep.

Cot death can happen in a cot, pram, bed, car seat, baby seat or anywhere a baby is sleeping.

Because the cause of cot death is not known, it cannot be completely prevented. But research has shown that you can take steps to significantly reduce the risk of cot death.

You can reduce the risk as follows:

Always place your baby on their back to sleep in their own cot. Place their feet to the foot of the cot. Do this every time your baby goes to sleep or has a nap, both day and night.

Do not smoke and keep your baby away from smoking.

Never fall asleep in bed with your baby if either you or your partner smokes.

Keep their head uncovered and don't use too many clothes.

Use only blankets or a sleeveless sleeping bag in the cot.

Do not have pillows, cushions, sleep positioners or any other item in the cot.

Make sure the room temperature is between 16°C to 20°C (degrees Celsius).

Keep the cot in your room for the first 6 months.

Other ways to reduce the risk include breastfeeding. Some research shows using a soother might help.

What is cot death?

Cot death is one of the main causes of death in babies from 4 weeks to 12 months of age. A baby who seems healthy goes to sleep and when next checked they are found dead. There has been no sound or sign of a struggle.

The exact cause of cot death is unknown. No cause of death can be found, even after a post-mortem examination. It is most common between 2 and 4 months of age and can happen to older babies.

Important
Cot death is not caused by vaccines, vomiting, choking or suffocation

Apnoea or breathing monitors cannot prevent cot death. These monitors alert parents and carers to apnoea (stopped breathing) or an apparent life-threatening event. Babies who die from cot death cannot be successfully resuscitated. Babies who have an apnoea can be.

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Cot death is also called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby who seems healthy during sleep. Cot death can happen in a cot, pram, bed, car seat, baby seat or anywhere a baby is sleeping.

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Read about how much sleep your child needs, bedtime routines and what to do when your child wakes during the night.

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Newborn hearing screening helps check if your baby has permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.

Almost all babies in Ireland are offered the screening test.

This means that you and your baby can get the support and advice you need as early as possible.

Test within 1 month of birth

Your baby will usually have their hearing screening test in hospital before they're 1 month old, either:

before they're discharged from hospital

at a hospital outpatient clinic (for example, if you had a home birth)

If you have a home birth, your public health nurse (PHN) will arrange an outpatient appointment with your local newborn hearing screening service.

If the screening test does not show a clear response from both of your baby's ears, your baby will be given a second screening test. This will usually happen in hospital before they're discharged.

Related topics
What happens during newborn hearing screening Hearing tests for babies and children

Why we screen babies for hearing loss

It's very rare that babies are born with hearing loss. But spotting hearing problems early means we can treat babies more effectively.

The vast majority of babies born in Ireland have no problems with hearing. But 1 or 2 babies in every 1,000 will be diagnosed hearing loss in one or both ears.

Identifying a hearing problem early improves the long-term outcomes for children and their development. It also means that support and information can be provided to parents at an early stage.

That's why we screen your baby when they're less than 1 month old.

We screen about 5,000 babies every month.

If your baby is not offered the screening test

In rare cases, we do not screen some babies for hearing loss at birth.

Your baby may not be offered the screening if he or she:

was born with congenital atresia (narrowing of the ear canal)

suspected or confirmed bacterial meningitis

spent more than 6 months in the special care baby unit and is not well enough to be screened

is receiving end-of-life care

In most of these cases your baby will instead be referred to audiology services for a diagnostic hearing test.

If your baby is receiving end-of-life care, a decision will be made with you on a case-by-case basis.

If your baby misses their test

If your baby should have been tested, but was not, you can arrange a test by asking your public health nurse for an appointment.

The test can be done up to 3 months of age.

Related topics
Your Baby's Visit to the Audiology Hearing Clinic (PDF, size 1 MB, 8 pages) Your Baby's Hearing Screening Test (PDF, size 604 KB, 8 pages) Your Baby's Hearing Screening Test for babies who have received special or intensive care NICU ( PDF, size 583 KB, 8 pages) Childhood Hearing Checklist (PDF, size 570 KB, 1 page)

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Newborn hearing screening helps check if your baby has permanent hearing loss in one or both ears. Almost all babies in Ireland are offered the screening test. This means that you and your baby can get the support and advice you need as early as possible.