Parents are being urged to exercise caution before purchasing “must have” feeding products and sleep aids, with experts warning that they could put infants at risk.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) cautioned that “hidden dangers” in particular items can expose babies to the threat of suffocation, choking, and overheating.
The organisation noted that safety concerns have already prompted the recall of several products for infants.
Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at the RoSPA, said: “Every parent wants what’s best for their baby and it’s completely understandable to look for products that promise to make feeding or sleeping easier.
“But some products can introduce risks that parents may not be aware of, particularly when they are marketed as must-have items.
“The safest sleep spaces are often the simplest. Babies should sleep on their backs in a clear cot, Moses basket or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress and without extra items.
open image in gallery“Before buying any product, take a moment to ask if you really need it and whether it could affect your baby’s safety.
“Keeping things simple can help protect your baby and save money at a time when family budgets are already under pressure.”
RoSPA urged parents to avoid unsafe or unnecessary products.
A number of products which “may present a risk to babies” were highlighted, including:
- Self-feeding cushions, also sold as hands-free baby bottle holders which are used to hold a baby’s bottle while they feed. The RoSPA said these products can increase a baby’s risk of choking as they can make it harder for babies to control the flow of milk.
- Baby sleep positioners, also sold as baby pillow, cuddle cushions or anti-roll pillows. The society said the items are designed to keep babies in a particular position while they sleep but it warned that restriction movement and having items in a baby’s sleep space can increase the risk of suffocation.
- In-cot sleep aids, sometimes sold as sleep aid pillows, can increase the risk of suffocation or overheating, it added.
RoSPA said the safest places to sleep “are often the simplest”.
It urged parents to look for CE or UKCA markings on products and to be cautious of products which do not explain how they have been assessed for safety.