The risk of carbon monoxide for babies is very real: Santé publique France (the French national public health agency) records nearly 4,000 carbon monoxide poisonings every year, and more than 75% occur during the heating season. According to Anses (the French agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety), this gas is the leading cause of hospitalisation for poisoning in children under 6, and the leading cause of death from accidental poisoning in children. Prevention comes down to a few simple habits: an annual service of your appliances, airing your home every day and no makeshift heating.
With the heating going back on in October, France's regional health agencies (ARS) are launching their annual campaigns. Here is what the official figures say and what they mean for a household with a little one.
The official carbon monoxide figures in France
Carbon monoxide, or CO, remains the leading cause of death by poisoning in France. Public data show the scale of the problem.
- Around 4,000 poisonings a year: this is the order of magnitude given by Santé publique France and repeated by ARS Grand Est.
- Around a hundred deaths a year, according to ARS Grand Est.
- More than 75% of poisonings during the heating season, according to Santé publique France.
- Around 85% of poisonings at home, with the boiler being the most common source, according to ARS Grand Est.
- 80% of poisonings involve private households, according to ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Regional reports that illustrate the risk
In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 178 poisoning incidents were recorded in 2024, with 692 people poisoned, more than half of them hospitalised, and 3 deaths. The previous year, the region recorded 147 incidents and 336 victims.
In Grand Est, the 2024-2025 season, from 1 October to 30 April, saw 76 incidents, 243 people exposed, 109 hospitalisations and 5 deaths. The same ARS page also gives 73 incidents and 241 people: these figures may still change.
Why little ones are particularly at risk
A toxicovigilance report published by Anses in February 2024 analysed accidental poisonings in children. In children under 6, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of hospitalisation for poisoning, accounting for 11% of hospital stays. It is also the second leading cause of admission to intensive care, accounting for 21% of cases.
Above all, it is the leading cause of death from accidental poisoning in children: 9 of the 23 deaths recorded between 2014 and 2017 in children under 15. Our article on accidental poisoning in children covers the full report in detail.
Several reasons explain this exposure. A baby spends most of the winter indoors, often in the warmest rooms. They can neither leave a room on their own nor say that they don't feel well. These last two points are our own analysis, not taken from the sources cited.
Carbon monoxide and babies: which signs should raise the alarm?
Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and non-irritating. You can't smell it and you can't see it. The symptoms of poisoning are therefore the only clue, and they are misleading.
ARS Grand Est distinguishes between two patterns:
- Chronic poisoning: headaches, nausea, mental confusion and tiredness. These fairly non-specific signs are easily mistaken for a seasonal virus.
- Acute poisoning: dizziness, loss of consciousness, muscle paralysis, behavioural problems, coma, or even death.
A baby can't tell you they have a headache or feel confused. Unusual drowsiness, vomiting or a baby who is hard to wake, especially if the adults also have a headache, should make you think of CO. Applying these signs to infants is our own deduction.
Which appliances can produce carbon monoxide?
CO comes from the incomplete combustion of any fuel: wood, butane, coal, petrol, heating oil, natural gas or propane. Many appliances are concerned.
- Boilers, water heaters, stoves and fireplace inserts.
- Combustion space heaters, especially if they run continuously.
- Generators used in an enclosed space.
- Appliances used for something they weren't designed for: a cooker, oven, brazier, barbecue or camping stove used for heating.
The main causes identified by ARS Grand Est are poor flue ventilation, lack of airflow, insufficient maintenance or ageing appliances. ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes points out that cookers, braziers, ovens and camping stoves should never be used for heating.
Recommended prevention measures
The recommendations of the regional health agencies all point the same way. They apply to every home, and even more so when a baby lives there.
- Have your combustion appliances checked every year by a qualified professional.
- Air your home for around ten minutes a day, even in winter.
- Never block air inlets or outlets.
- Don't use appliances that aren't intended for heating, and follow the instructions.
- Never heat a closed room with a brazier, a barbecue or a stove that isn't connected to a flue.
- Replace old appliances connected to a flue.
- Never use a generator in an enclosed space.
A combustion space heater has no place in your baby's room. The recommended temperature for an infant's sleep is between 18 and 20 °C: our guide to the nursery thermometer helps you check it without overheating the room. Airing every day also helps air quality, as explained in our article on indoor air pollution.
Carbon monoxide detectors
A CO detector can add to your prevention measures. However, ARS Grand Est points out that having a detector is not enough to prevent poisoning: servicing your appliances and ventilation remain the priority. It also reminds us that smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide.
What to do if you suspect poisoning?
The instructions from ARS Grand Est are simple and must be followed without delay.
- Air the rooms immediately.
- Switch off combustion appliances if possible.
- Get everyone out, baby first.
- Call 15 (emergency medical service), 18 (fire brigade) or 112. The 114 number is available for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
- Don't go back into your home until a heating professional or the fire brigade has given the all-clear.
CO is one of the many household accidents that affect young children, covered in our article on everyday accidents. Our article on hot water burns and our guide to making your home safe complete these guidelines.
Sources
- Santé publique France, “Monoxyde de carbone”, page updated on 13 May 2020, and the page “Monoxyde de carbone : données”, updated on 13 May 2020.
- ARS Grand Est, “Comment éviter les intoxications au monoxyde de carbone ?”, 17 October 2025, and “Les dangers du monoxyde de carbone : relayez la campagne annuelle de prévention”, 4 November 2025.
- ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, “Monoxyde de carbone : bilan 2024 des épisodes d'intoxication en région et recommandations”, 20 November 2025.
- Anses, “Expositions accidentelles à des toxiques chez les enfants”, toxicovigilance report, February 2024.
