British retailers have removed baby sleep positioners from sale after a US health watchdog warned about risks of suffocation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement on 3 October reminding parents and caregivers not to put babies in sleep positioners.
“These products - sometimes also called ‘nests’ or ‘anti-roll’ products - can cause suffocation (a struggle to breathe) that can lead to death,” they wrote.
“The federal government has received reports about babies who have died from suffocation associated with their sleep positioners. In most of these cases, the babies suffocated after rolling from their sides to their stomachs.”
In response to the warning, Mothercare confirmed to HuffPost UK that it had removed the sleep positioners from sale.
A Tesco spokesperson also told us: “We have removed these products from our website as a precautionary measure.”
The FDA stated the two most common types of sleep positioners feature raised supports or pillows that are attached to each side of a mat to raise a baby’s head. The positioners are intended to keep a baby in a specific position while sleeping.
They advised: “To reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including accidental suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep on their backs, positioned on a firm, empty surface.
“This surface should not contain soft objects, toys, pillows, or loose bedding.”
In March 2017, British charity Lullaby Trust, which campaigns to spread safer sleep advice to parents, urged parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs.
The charity found almost all (94%) parents had heard of SIDS however, 15% thought it was fine for children to sleep on their tummies and a further 23% neither agreed or disagreed with this statement.
Read the full statement on the FDA website here.