New Parent Emergency Checklist: Preparing Your Denver Home

Bringing a new baby home is exciting and overwhelming. Having an emergency plan in place before you need it is one of the most impactful things you can do as a new parent. This checklist covers the essential preparations that every Denver-area family should complete in the first weeks.

Learn infant CPR before the baby arrives at our Denver or Boulder training centers.

Emergency Numbers to Save in Your Phone Right Now

911 for any life-threatening emergency. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 (free, available 24/7, and staffed by medical professionals who can guide you through a poisoning emergency in real time). Your pediatrician's main number AND after-hours line. The nearest pediatric emergency room (for Denver families: Children's Hospital Colorado at 720-777-1234).

Build a Pediatric First Aid Kit

Your home first aid kit should include a digital thermometer, infant acetaminophen (for babies 2 months and older), infant ibuprofen (for babies 6 months and older), a medicine syringe (not a spoon), a nasal aspirator and saline drops, adhesive bandages in multiple sizes, sterile gauze pads and rolls, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, instant cold packs, disposable gloves, and a CPR reference card updated to the 2025 AHA guidelines.

When to Call 911 Immediately

Call 911 without hesitation if your baby is not breathing or is unresponsive, experiences a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes, has severe bleeding that you cannot control, has a suspected spine or neck injury, is choking and you cannot clear the airway, shows signs of a severe allergic reaction (swelling of face/throat, difficulty breathing, hives), or has been submerged in water.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

Go to the ER (do not wait for a pediatrician appointment) if your infant under 2 months has a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher, if your child has swallowed a button battery (this is a medical emergency even without symptoms), has an open fracture, has severe burns, or shows signs of dehydration (no tears when crying, sunken fontanelle, fewer than 6 wet diapers in 24 hours).

Safe Sleep Setup Saves Lives

Approximately 3,700 sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) occur annually in the United States, with SIDS being the leading subcategory. The safe sleep basics: firm flat mattress with only a fitted sheet, nothing else in the crib (no blankets, pillows, bumpers, or stuffed animals), room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees F, sleep sacks instead of loose blankets, and room-sharing (not bed-sharing) for at least the first 6 months, which reduces SIDS risk by up to 50%.

Learn Infant CPR Before You Need It

The single most important skill you can learn as a new parent is infant CPR. The 2025 AHA guidelines updated the infant CPR technique, eliminating the two-finger method and replacing it with the two-thumb encircling hands technique.

A Heartsaver CPR/AED or Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED class at CPR-Professionals covers everything you need to know, with hands-on practice on infant manikins. Classes are available at both Denver and Boulder.

Full guide to the new infant CPR method every parent should know.
Understanding the differences between adult and child CPR.

Be Prepared for Anything - Take an Infant CPR Class Before Baby Arrives