Your Baby's First Aid Kit

There's no telling when a baby may get sick, which is why it's so important to always have first aid essentials on hand.

The Saturday Early Show Dr. Mallika Marshall, who's back from maternity leave, explains everything you'll need for your little one's medicine cabinet.

The products are only to be used if your baby has a minor ailment, Marshall says. Anytime you have concerns about your child's health, you should call your doctor's office. There's usually someone on-call 24 hours a day, and they can often give you advice over the phone.

The following is her advice on products to have:

Pain Relievers: Tylenol and Motrin

You want to always have something available to treat pain and fever. The best ones to keep around are acetaminophen (found in Tylenol) and ibuprofen (found in Motrin and Advil). Both of these medications will treat pain and fever and can often be used in conjunction with one another.

For very young infants (says, under 3 months), you should consult your doctor before giving any medicines to your child. Ibuprofen is generally reserved for infants over 6 months of age. Do not use aspirin.

Medicine Dropper and Medicine Syringe
Many parents measure out medication using regular household teaspoons. But this can be inaccurate, especially if you're asked to give something like 3/4 of a teaspoon to your child, and it can be hard to administer the medication with a regular spoon. So invest in a dropper or syringe so you can measure out the medication properly, and actually have some hope of getting it into your child's mouth.

Nasal Aspirator and Saline Nasal Drops
The nasal aspirator or bulb syringe can come in very handy. Babies breathe primarily through their noses and if they get a stuffy nose, they can feel miserable. This bulb can help you clear your baby's nasal passages, especially if used along with normal saline drops.

Diaper Rash Cream and Petroleum Jelly
There are many of them on the market and most contain an ingredient called zinc oxide that can soothe irritated skin. All of them are pretty much the same, so you just need to find one that has the consistency and feel that you like the most.

It's also a good idea to have some petroleum jelly around because you can use it on your baby's bottom to prevent diaper rash, treat dry skin, or for use in circumcision care.

Hydrocortisone Cream
Hydrocortisone cream comes in 1/2 percent and 1 percent. Marshall suggests getting the 1/2 strength. It can be used for certain skin rashes and bug bites. But consult your doctor before using it on young infants and don't use it for longer than a week or so, because long-term use can damage the skin.

Neosporin
This is an item you want to keep in your home in case your crawling or walking child gets a minor cut or scrape. In addition to cleaning the wound, the use of triple antibiotic cream can help prevent infection.

Electrolyte Solution
This is very important to keep in the house. This is an electrolyte or rehydration solution that you can give to your child if he or she is vomiting and can't tolerate milk or formula. It provides essential fluid and salts to prevent dehydration without upsetting the stomach.

Thermometer
It is no longer recommended that you use the old-fashioned mercury glass thermometers. Use the digital ones instead. They are fast, easy to read and quite accurate. If you're taking a baby's temperature, the best way to take it is rectally.