Consumer lawyer voices concern over unsafe baby products as UK government announces further recalls

These products include baby-self feeding products and unsafe sleeping bags, which the UK government has warned represent a serious choking and suffocation risk for babies.

Baby self-feeding products, which are designed to hold a bottle to feed a baby, were previously the focus of a product safety alert in 2022. However, a new design of these products has been found on the market, prompting a new product safety alert, advising businesses to immediately cease the sale of these products and remove them from the market.

Self-feeding products can cause choking and aspiration pneumonia as babies cannot regulate the flow of bottle feed. This could lead to serious injury or even death.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust has also previously worked to raise awareness of the unsafe baby products available online. Their research showed that 74 per cent of parents think that products marketed at under-fives and sold online will be safe, tested, and compliant with regulations. However, this is far from the reality, particularly when buying from online marketplaces.

Two unsafe sleeping bags have also been recalled this week from sale by online marketplaces Desertcart and Grandado due to serious risks of suffocation. Products with hoods should not be marketed as baby sleeping bags due to risks associated with babies moving when asleep.

Consumer lawyer, Philippa Wheeler, comments on the recalls:

“Internationally, baby-self feeding products and sleeping bags are known to be extremely unsafe. Whilst no parent would purchase a product intending to hurt their child, these products are incredibly dangerous yet still remain available to purchase. It is particularly concerning to see the prevalence of these items sold on online marketplaces. Sellers should immediately remove these items from sale.”