Baby self-feeding pillows

Urgent safety alert issued for baby self-feeding pillows

These self-feeding pillows have been on sale all over the internet. But they can kill small babies. That’s because the baby can’t push the bottle away, so can choke on the milk or suffer aspiration pneumonia.

After the Child Accident Prevention Trust raised concerns, the Office for Product Safety and Standards investigated and issued an urgent safety alert.

They say: “this category of product will always be dangerous due to their design and intended use, and can never be made safe”.

• Parents should immediately stop using these products.

• Businesses must immediately remove these products from sale.

Professor Peter Fleming, a consultant paediatrician and leading baby safety expert explains:

“The NHS has warned against prop feeding for many years, as there is a significant link between prop feeding and the risk of unexpected death, aspiration pneumonia and ear infections in babies.

“With this device, the baby cannot adjust the angle of the bottle or the rate of flow of the milk. There is a real risk that milk will get into the back of the baby’s throat and they will stop breathing. Plus, there is a risk of aspiration pneumonia, a life-threatening illness which if not recognised and treated, can kill a small baby in a few hours.”

Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust says:

“As soon as we saw this product on sale on online marketplaces, we knew it was dangerous. It encourages parents to leave their baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle.

“Every health professional advises against prop feeding. A baby needs their parent with them while they are feeding, so the parent can react if they start gagging or choking.

“We are hugely relieved that the Office for Product Safety and Standards acted so quickly when we raised our concerns. We urge parents to stop using this product straight away and to tell their family and friends about the risks.”