A teenage boy has escaped from Darwin's Don Dale detention centre because he wanted to check his baby was OK, then handed himself in to authorities after learning the child was being cared for.

Duty Superintendent Rob Burgoyne said the boy escaped about 7:45pm yesterday.

"[He] climbed over the razor wire at the Don Dale centre and suffered some cuts and abrasions as he did so," Mr Burgoyne said.

Mr Burgoyne said the 17-year-old boy escaped because his ex-partner, with whom he had a child, had also arrived in Don Dale, and he was worried about their baby.

"There were a few concerns over the baby that they had together," he said.

"He decided he'd go out and find out exactly what the case was."

'All's well that ends well'

Police already had a report from the mother of the boy's girlfriend — who was concerned for the welfare of the child — and authorities already knew where the baby was, Mr Burgoyne said.

"It appears he also found out that the baby was OK and was fine and he decided to head back to Don Dale," Mr Borgoyne said.

"So all's well that ends well, as they say."

The boy returned to Don Dale with an older relative about 5:00am.

A police spokesman this morning said the boy may face a charge of escaping custody.

A statement from Territory Families, which manages Don Dale, said two other detainees also attempted to escape at the same time and were apprehended within the compound.