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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Pavlik harness and hip brace care: the wear schedule and daily life

A Pavlik harness or a hip abduction brace holds a baby's hips in place while they grow, for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).12 It is worn for weeks or months, so it becomes part of everyday life.345 This page covers that everyday part: how long it is worn, the first days, diapers, clothes, baths, cleaning, sleep, feeding, car seats and carriers, appointments, when to call and when it ends. It is built from the handouts of children's hospitals in the US, Canada and Australia and NHS hospitals in the UK, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) and a UK parents' charity, and where they disagree, it says so.

This page is about daily life with the harness or brace. Every baby's plan comes from their own team: how long it stays on, and whether it can come off for a bath. Use what your team told you.167 Anything about your baby's hips is a question for them.

What the harness and the brace do, and for how long

The Pavlik harness is a soft brace made of fabric straps.28 It holds the legs apart with the knees bent,9 so the ball of the hip stays pointed at the socket.210 It has a chest strap, shoulder straps, leg straps and booties for the feet.111213 An abduction brace is firmer.14 A baby may move to one if the harness has not worked, or because of their age or how severe the DDH is,1516 and a brace is also common right after a spica cast.1617 Families also hear it called a fixed abduction brace, or by a brand name.1516

How long it is worn, and whether it can come off at all, differ by program. What programs say for the harness:

And for a brace:

Melbourne's older fact sheet, which counts the Pavlik harness as one kind of brace, says most babies wear one for around 12 weeks, and older babies or those with more severe DDH may need longer. Some wear it all day and night.5

Most programs keep the harness on day and night at first. Take it off only if your team said you can, and only for as long as they said.46791819202228 For a brace: Keep the brace on for the hours your team prescribed, and take it off only when they said you can.1524262930

The tracker offers three of these as ready-made phase plans, in its own words:

A step waits for your team. Lurie says weaning starts when the hip is stable and the socket has formed, with a schedule given then,6 and the IHDI says many orthopedic surgeons prefer the hips to be normal for six weeks before stopping or weaning.31 Follow your team's plan if it differs from all of these.

The first days

Many babies are unsettled for the first few days to a week in a new harness or brace while they get used to it. Programs say a well-fitted harness or brace doesn't hurt.47913243233 Nationwide Children's says it is normal for a baby to seem more irritable for the first 2 to 3 days, Melbourne says the first couple of nights, and Sherwood Forest and STEPS say the first week.47913 Perth says the frustration comes from not being able to kick freely.33 For some babies, sleep can take a week or longer to settle in a harness,4 and Perth says most babies adjust to sleeping in a brace within the first 2 weeks.25

Parents quoted by SickKids say the first day and night are the hardest, and to have help for the first two days if you can.34 If your baby is very unsettled, STEPS suggests checking what you would check in any unsettled baby, like teething.4 A baby who can't be comforted is one to call your team about.1819

A day in the harness or brace

Check the skin every day, and at diaper changes when you can: the neck, under the arms, the groin and thigh folds, and behind the knees. Keep the folds clean and dry.346712131819212228 Nemours suggests wiping the folds where the legs meet the body, and behind the knees, with a dry cloth at each diaper change.3 If a shoulder strap rubs the neck, the IHDI says soft padding can cover the strap, and Perth suggests sliding a sock with the toes cut off onto a strap to stop rubbing.1235

If you see some redness or rubbing: Keep the folds clean and dry and look again at the next change. Programs differ on mild redness, so ask your team when they want a call.346791335 Nemours and Melbourne say to contact the team about any redness, and STEPS, Sherwood Forest and Perth about redness that persists.3471335 Perth adds that redness that fades when you press on it is generally not a cause for concern.35

For a brace: Check the skin every day, behind the knees and anywhere the brace presses. Some redness that fades is expected.5242526 How long a red spot may take to fade differs: Perth says to contact them if redness hasn't gone 20 minutes after the brace comes off, and Atlanta says to contact them about redness that does not fade after 30 minutes.2526 Ask your team which they use. Perth adds that a baby may be hot and sweat a bit more in a brace, especially in summer.25

Ask your team before putting any lotion, cream or powder under the straps. Programs differ on this.34679192122 Nemours says no lotion, powder or cream under the harness, Children's Wisconsin no powder or lotion, and STEPS no cream or talc.3419 Lurie allows lotion, but not ointments or powders unless your physician orders them, and Nationwide allows a mild, soothing lotion on irritated areas.69 CHEO and St George's suggest a zinc or barrier cream for redness, and Melbourne says a barrier ointment can help but to discuss it with the orthotist.72122 For a brace, Melbourne's orthotics sheet says no powder or cream under it.24

Watch for both legs kicking and straightening at the knee. Some programs ask for a quick look once a day.5620212224 CHEO says they should kick on their own or when you touch them.21 The check is for a rare problem, femoral nerve palsy, where the harness position presses on a nerve in the leg.220 SickKids says the leg then won't kick out straight, even when the toes are tickled, as if it has fallen asleep, and that it can happen in up to 1 in 50 babies in a Pavlik harness.20 The AAOS says the nerve recovers when the harness is taken off or adjusted.2 Lurie suggests placing your baby to encourage kicking while awake.6 What to do first if a leg stops kicking is under When to call.

Leave the leg straps alone. Your team marks the straps so anything you open goes back to the same spot.369111213181920212832 STEPS says why the fit matters: a harness that is too tight can do more damage to the hips, and one that is too loose won't hold them properly.4 The ones to leave alone are the long straps from the chest strap down to the legs; some programs let you open the small straps around the lower legs.11132028 After anything was undone for a bath or clothes, check that the shoulder straps are back on their marks.1232 Some programs let you loosen the chest strap a little during or after a feed, so the tummy has room, and make it snug again afterward.922 How snug it should be differs by program, so use the check your team showed you.1112028 A bib or cloth under the chin keeps milk off the shoulder straps.619

Diapering

The diaper goes under the straps, so you can change it with the harness on. Lift your baby by the bottom, not the feet.36911121318202833 A diaper outside the straps lets urine soak the harness.12 Check that the straps at the back aren't caught in the diaper, and change it often so the harness stays dry.333 Don't hold the feet together while you change it: Melbourne and Sydney say that moves the hips out of position.17

Disposable diapers are usually easier with a harness.3413 For cloth diapers, Lurie suggests a plastic cover with side openings. Lurie also suggests large toddler socks over the booties, to keep them clean during changes and warm.6 One tip from parents quoted by SickKids: slide a clean diaper under the dirty one, lift the bottom, then take the dirty one away.34

For a brace: Most braces come off for diaper changes. The diaper and thin, soft clothes go under the brace.1524262930 Lift your baby by the bottom, never by the legs,26 and don't hold the feet together during the change.24 SickKids shows you how to change a diaper in the brace before you leave the appointment.15 Melbourne's orthotics sheet doesn't recommend cloth diapers with a brace, because of the bulk.24

Clothes

Programs differ on what goes under a harness. For a harness worn 24 hours a day, CHEO says it goes directly on bare skin, and SickKids allows a t-shirt or onesie under it only once your baby may come out for an hour a day.2021 Others allow or advise a thin top without legs under it, like a onesie, vest, T-shirt or bodysuit,1213181935 and Lurie only if your physician allows it.6 Ask your team which they want.

Clothes with legs go over the harness.361935 Don't take the harness off to dress your baby,3 and if something is worn under it, undo one part at a time to change it.121820 No tight pants, leggings or tights: they pull the legs together.4922 Lurie says no pants at all, because they pull the front and back straps together, and CHEO says to avoid pants and shorts.621 Loose, stretchy clothes in bigger sizes help.9 Parents quoted by SickKids go 1 to 2 sizes up in clothes and one size up in diapers.34

For a brace, clothes go under it. Keep them thin and soft, with no wrinkles, zippers, snaps or thick waistband.152426 Children's Wisconsin says the brace should never touch the skin, and Perth suggests leggings or long pants under it to protect the skin behind the knees, changed more often if they are damp.252930

Bathing

If the harness stays on full time, give sponge baths instead of tub baths, and dry the folds well.1367911121832 Nemours suggests a sponge or washcloth with warm water and a little fragrance-free, gentle soap, wrung out until just damp.3 UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland says you may slide the washcloth under the straps, and use a wet cotton swab for the creases behind the knees.11 Wash carefully under the chest and shoulder straps.6

If your team allows the harness off for the bath, undo only what they showed you, keep the legs apart while it's off, and dry the skin and folds well before it goes back on.1719 Melbourne says to undo only the hook-and-loop straps, never the metal buckles, and Children's Wisconsin says to leave the leg straps in place and use the marks to put it back on.719 STEPS allows a bath of no more than 10 to 15 minutes, and only if your doctor says so.4 The IHDI and SickKids suggest using the time out for the bath, play and washing the harness,1220 and the IHDI suggests encouraging kicks in the bath.12

For a brace: If the brace stays on full time, give sponge baths. If your team allows time out, bathe as usual.52430

Cleaning

Spot-clean a dirty harness while it's on. Most programs say not to take it off just because it's dirty, and some staining is normal.41112131820212228 Use a damp cloth or a baby wipe with mild soap or detergent; an old toothbrush helps.1112182022 Towel it dry if it gets wet.18 UCSF reminds parents that the harness may not stay perfectly clean, and that this is temporary.11

Programs differ on a proper wash. Many say not to take the harness off just because it is dirty,111218202128 while Melbourne and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network say to remove only the part that needs washing,17 and Sydney asks you to contact the orthotist if it needs cleaning on a 24-hour plan.1 Sherwood Forest allows the harness off for short periods if it is soiled.13 Some allow a hand wash: Children's Wisconsin, Lurie and Perth.61935 The IHDI allows a hand wash or a wool cycle once the harness is prescribed off for 4 or more hours, and parents quoted by SickKids use a delicate cycle once time out is allowed.1234 Perth says no washing machine, because it weakens the hook-and-loop straps.3335 Most say to keep it out of the dryer, because the cotton can shrink,71119 and Lurie allows the dryer on air dry with no heat.6 For the fabric harness, Melbourne allows a hair dryer on low heat and Nationwide on the cool setting.79 If it gets very dirty, Children's Wisconsin says a new one can be put on at the clinic, and Sherwood Forest says to contact them if it can't be cleaned.1319

For a brace: Wipe the brace clean and let it dry fully before it goes back on. Keep foam away from hair dryers and heaters.24262930 Programs say to wipe the brace every day, or 2 to 3 times a week. Use what your team said.242629 Atlanta uses a washcloth dampened with rubbing alcohol, and Perth a baby wipe or a damp cloth with the soap you use on your baby.2630 Children's Wisconsin says to keep it out of the washer and dryer.29 If the brace has cotton liners, one hospital's handout, written for a splint after a cast, says to change them daily, or at least every other day.36

Sleep and swaddling

Back to sleep, as always. Many programs say not to lay your baby on the side in a harness or brace.134671112131825 Nemours says a crib or bassinet with no pillows, bumpers, toys or blankets,3 and STEPS and Sherwood Forest say not face down either.413 Change your baby's head position often while they sleep, to avoid a flat spot on the back of the head.1724 A sleeper a few sizes bigger, or a large sleep sack, gives the legs room; size up so the knees aren't pulled in.2133

Keep the legs free: no leg swaddling, no tight pants or leggings, and nothing that squeezes the knees together.2469111218192122 That is for a harness; with a brace, thin leggings or tights go under it, as above. On swaddling, several programs say not to swaddle at all, and Lurie and Nationwide say not to swaddle the legs.469111819 The AAOS, writing about all babies, says to swaddle only the upper body if you swaddle.2 Perth's harness handout differs: it says to wrap the blanket loosely over the knees, so it doesn't pull them inward.33 Ask your team before you swaddle.

Holding, feeding, tummy time and play

Hold your baby so the legs stay apart: one leg on each side of your body, or chest to chest with the legs out to each side.91119 Never lift your baby by the legs or feet.31820

Breastfeeding can carry on, though it may take a few tries to find a position that suits you both.7 Positions programs mention: tummy to tummy with the legs out to either side of your body, or the cradle, cross-cradle or football hold.1118 Parents quoted by SickKids suggest a koala hold, with your baby straddling your thigh and facing you.34

Most programs allow or encourage tummy time, with you watching.672033 Some add a little support: STEPS and UCSF suggest a roll or support under the chest so the hips can stay spread, and Atlanta says tummy time only with a pillow under the tummy and chest.41118 As long as the harness is on correctly and the legs stay apart, Nationwide says your baby can be as active as they want.9 SickKids encourages floor play and sitting play, and the IHDI adds high chairs.1220

Car seats, strollers and carriers

Most babies fit their usual car seat. If the knees get squeezed, ask your team before adding anything; the AAP advises against padding that didn't come with the seat.149193537 The AAP's car seat page also links to child passenger safety technicians, including some with extra training for children with special needs, who can help with the fit.37

Room can run out as your baby grows. Children's Wisconsin says the seat may be too small at about 2 to 3 months, and Perth that it can get tight across the knees, especially in an infant carrier seat.1935 If you are unsure about the fit, Perth asks for a photo of your baby in the seat.35 SickKids says the harness stays on for travel.20 Many programs say to avoid long or frequent car trips when you can, and STEPS says why: a car seat usually holds the thighs close together.4121820 SickKids says to take breaks on a long trip so the legs can fall out to the sides.20 Sherwood Forest says the slightly narrower position in a car seat or stroller is fine for short periods.13 Most babies fit their usual stroller too.4

For a brace: A brace can need a wider car seat. Ask your team to check the fit; the AAP advises against padding that didn't come with the seat.1524262937 Perth refers a baby in a brace 23 hours a day to an occupational therapist who can adjust the car seat, and for a brace worn for nights and naps, recommends not using the brace in the car.25

Carriers are a split. Some programs allow a carrier that supports the whole thigh with the legs apart, and prefer a front carrier;6121835 others say not to use one, or generally not to,11132 and Sydney says carriers can put pressure on the hips.1 Programs that mention slings mostly say to avoid them, and Atlanta and the IHDI say why: the legs can dangle together.121832 Perth names hammock-style slings.35 Ask your team before you use one.

Gear to skip or ask about

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital's list of things to avoid: baby door bouncers, baby walkers, baby slings and carriers, and swaddling.32 Lurie says no infant seats, swings or jumpers unless your physician says it is okay.6 UCSF says no chair or walker that doesn't let the knees and legs fully separate, and SickKids names car seats that are too narrow.1120 The IHDI encourages sitting play and high chairs, and says some high chairs fit better than others.12 Ask your team about any seat, swing or bouncer before you use it.

If a product mentions hip health, note the IHDI's own line: it is not a certifying body and has never performed safety testing of any products.38

Appointments: what to bring

Visits are frequent while the harness is on, and the spacing differs: every 1 to 2 weeks at Atlanta and in the IHDI's guidance, every 1 to 3 weeks with hip ultrasounds at Nemours, weekly and then every 2 weeks at two UK hospitals, about every 2 weeks in Gloucestershire, and about every 3 weeks in Perth.10182228323339 Melbourne's orthotists review a brace as needed or every three months.24 At these visits the team checks the hips and the fit, adjusts the straps, and may move up a size as your baby grows.9102839 The AAOS stresses going to every scheduled visit.2 If a doctor's appointment moves, Melbourne reminds you to move the orthotist's too.7 What to bring:

When to call

On a leg that stops kicking, programs differ on what comes first. SickKids and UCSF say to take the harness off and then call, and SickKids says the same for a brace.111520 St George's says to email the team at once, and out of hours to take the harness off and contact them the next working day; a short video can help.22 Atlanta, Children's Wisconsin, Lurie, Melbourne, CHEO and Perth say to call or contact the team, and Atlanta says right away.671819212435 Nemours lists a baby who isn't moving the legs as much as usual, or seems to be in pain, under going to the ER.3 Do what your team told you, and ask them at the first visit if they haven't said.

For a brace, two of these read differently. Call about skin that's raw, blistered or broken, a rash, or redness still there 20 to 30 minutes after it comes off.24252629 Call if the fit looks off: a strap too tight, it seems too small, a crack or bend in the plastic, or it digs into your baby's back.252629 Atlanta also lists white areas or blisters, and hard skin or calluses.26 Perth says crawling and walking can very occasionally make the plastic buckle between the legs.25

When it ends

There is no single way to stop. A UK research summary for the WINDY study says there is currently no clear agreement on the best way to stop treatment with the harness: some doctors remove it all at once, others reduce the time gradually, and there is limited evidence about which method is best.41 The study, a small one to see whether a larger trial would work, puts babies into two groups: stopping at once, or wearing it at night only for four weeks before stopping completely.41 The IHDI describes the same split, part time at night and nap time for a few weeks after the hip looks normal on the ultrasound, or off completely, and says no one knows the best answer.31 Your team will give you their plan.6

Follow-up checks carry on after it ends, often with an X-ray around age 1.5101142 UCSF says you will keep seeing your orthopedic provider for as long as your child is growing.11

Right after, your baby may hold the legs in a frog-leg position for a while. SickKids says this is completely normal, and not to try to stretch the legs.420 NHS Lothian (Edinburgh) says babies may be unsettled for the first 48 to 72 hours, as when the harness went on, and may move more now, so don't leave them alone on a changing table.42 On walkers and bouncers afterward, Atlanta says none for six months unless your team advises otherwise, the IHDI says 4 to 6 months, and Lothian advises against walkers, bouncers and jumpers, letting your baby get up on their feet in their own time.121842

On development, Lothian says the harness should not delay crawling and walking, and the IHDI says it may slow development for a time and that babies soon catch up.1242 Lothian asks families to contact the team if, later on, they notice one leg that can't be moved out to the side as far as the other at a diaper change, one leg that seems longer, one leg that drags when crawling, or, once walking, limping, a waddling walk, or walking on tiptoe on one side.42

How YummyYucky's free hip harness and brace tracker helps

The IHDI suggests keeping a small diary of appointments and treatment events. In its words: ā€œInstead of depending completely on your memory, being able to refer to notes you took can greatly reduce anxiety and stress.ā€40

The hip harness or brace tracker keeps that record. It is free, and it stays out of sight until you turn it on, under Care extras on your baby's page or from the line at the bottom of Health. You pick the harness or the brace, then the plan your team gave you, and nothing is picked for you. For a harness that never comes off, there are no daily times off to log: a card on the Today screen counts the days in the harness and keeps the daily checks, with a small ā€œIt came offā€ for the rare time it does. With time out for the bath, it shows today's hours against a goal. Some programs give 23 hours a day with time out for the bath. Your team's number comes first, so change it anytime.819 For sleep only, it leads with yesterday's hours.

Each day the card asks: ā€œBoth legs kicking and straightening at the knee?ā€ A No brings up the first line of When to call at once. The skin check is one tap away, in the words for your harness or brace, with a photo if you want one for the team. A harness gets a tick for the straps being back on their marks after it came off, and a brace gets a tick for its cleaning, and for liner changes if you turn them on.

The hip page keeps the plan and the day it changed, the history a day at a time, and weekly totals to talk over at a visit. When your team steps the plan down, ā€œThe team changed the planā€ saves the new plan with its date, and you can follow one of the ready-made phase plans above or enter your team's. The daily taps and checks work offline, and everyone logging for your baby sees the same thing on their own phone. Ending tracking keeps everything logged so far.

Related reading

Sources

  1. Sydney Childrenā€™s Hospitals Network: Pavlik harness factsheet (updated April 20, 2026)
  2. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoInfo): Developmental Dislocation (Dysplasia) of the Hip (DDH)
  3. Nemours KidsHealth: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip With a Harness, How to Care for Your Child
  4. STEPS Charity Worldwide: Caring for a child in a Pavlik harness, The Parentsā€™ Guide (January 2015)
  5. The Royal Childrenā€™s Hospital Melbourne: Brace treatment for DDH, fact sheet 23 (October 2011)
  6. Lurie Childrenā€™s: Pavlik Harness
  7. The Royal Childrenā€™s Hospital Melbourne: Pavlik Harness for DDH (reviewed August 2020, updated July 2025)
  8. Scottish Rite for Children: Infants and Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (October 7, 2021)
  9. Nationwide Childrenā€™s Hospital: Pavlik Harness, Helping Hand HH-II-111 (revised 2020)
  10. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Pavlik Harness (updated August 14, 2020)
  11. UCSF Benioff Childrenā€™s Hospital Oakland: Pavlik Harness Caregiver Information and Instructions (2021)
  12. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Pavlik Harness Tips for Parents (updated December 15, 2020)
  13. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Your babyā€™s Pavlik Harness (revised September 2024)
  14. Childrenā€™s Hospital of Philadelphia: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) in Newborns
  15. SickKids AboutKidsHealth: Fixed abduction brace (updated October 17, 2022)
  16. Seattle Childrenā€™s: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH)
  17. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Hip Abduction Brace (updated December 15, 2020)
  18. Childrenā€™s Healthcare of Atlanta, Hip Program: Pavlik Harness
  19. Childrenā€™s Wisconsin: Pavlik Harness, Home Care (revised January 1, 2023)
  20. SickKids AboutKidsHealth: Pavlik harness (updated October 17, 2022)
  21. CHEO (Ottawa): What you need to know, using a Pavlik harness (April 2019)
  22. St Georgeā€™s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) (June 2026)
  23. Gillette Childrenā€™s: Treating Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip in Babies (November 2025)
  24. The Royal Childrenā€™s Hospital Melbourne, Orthotics: hip abduction brace information sheet
  25. Perth Childrenā€™s Hospital, Orthotics: hip abduction brace questions and answers
  26. Childrenā€™s Healthcare of Atlanta, Hip Program: Abduction Brace
  27. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Bracing for dysplasia that remains after initial treatment (updated July 29, 2013)
  28. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Pavlik harness (review due May 2027)
  29. Childrenā€™s Wisconsin: Hip Abduction Brace, teaching sheet (revised January 1, 2023)
  30. Perth Childrenā€™s Hospital: hip abduction brace, health facts (2026)
  31. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Do we know how to end the Pavlik Harness treatment? (updated March 7, 2014)
  32. Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Pavlik Harness (March 2024)
  33. Perth Childrenā€™s Hospital: Pavlik harness, health facts (2026)
  34. SickKids AboutKidsHealth: Developmental dysplasia of the hip, tips, tricks and messages from caregivers (updated October 24, 2023)
  35. Perth Childrenā€™s Hospital, Orthotics: Pavlik harness
  36. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust: Caring for your child in a hip abduction brace (April 2023)
  37. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Car Seats, Information for Families (updated April 16, 2026)
  38. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Baby Carriers and Related Products (updated January 7, 2026)
  39. Nemours KidsHealth: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (reviewed October 2019)
  40. International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Keeping Track of Healthcare (updated December 15, 2020)
  41. Health Research Authority (UK): The WINDY study, Weaning in INfant hip Dysplasia, research summary (ethics opinion June 2025)
  42. NHS Lothian: Advice after your childā€™s Pavlik Harness is removed (approved July 2026)
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Track a hip harness or brace?

Free. It keeps the daily checks (kicks, skin, straps) and, when your plan has time out, the hours it is on. Hidden until you turn it on.

Open the hip tracker

Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

Some links in our guides are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only suggest things we'd actually use, and it never changes our guidance.