Baby products banned in the United States and New Zealand are still being sold in Australia, while mandatory standards for other infant sleep products are either outdated or nonexistent, consumer advocates warn.
“Australia has some of the strongest safety standards in the world for important categories such as household cots and strollers,” says Kim Gilmour, product safety expert at consumer affairs group Choice.
“However, there’s inconsistency with some products such as bassinets (used for the first months of a baby’s life) which don’t have an Australian standard at all, and portable cots which have outdated mandatory standards.”
Since 2001, approximately two babies per year in Australia have died while using inclined infant products such as rocking sleepers, with an additional one death per year linked to other sleep items such as cots, inflatable beds and mattresses.
It’s a tragic statistic that points to what consumer advocate groups say are troubling inconsistencies with Australia’s mandatory safety standards in regards to infant products in general.
Inclined products banned in US and New Zealand
Inclined infant sleep products are sleeping surfaces with an incline (up to 30 degrees) that elevate a baby’s head and shoulders slightly.
They gained popularity due to a belief that this can alleviate the symptoms of reflux in small babies. In spite of clear and consistent sleep advice that recommends babies be placed on a firm, flat surface, these products are still being sold in Australia.
Dr Bec Thornton of Red Nose Australia explains the problem with inclined sleep products. “A baby’s head is relatively large in proportion to their body and their neck muscles are still developing, so babies sleeping on an incline tend to end up in a chin-to-chest position,” she says.
“Because a baby’s airways are also narrower and more compressible, this chin-to-chest position can obstruct the baby’s airway and therefore interfere with their breathing.”
Other inclined products not officially marketed for sleeping – such as rockers, bouncers and swings, can also pose a risk if used for sleep.
In the US, after around 73 infant deaths linked to these products, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of any infant sleeper with an incline greater than 10 degrees. In New Zealand, where no deaths linked to inclined sleepers have been reported, the government preemptively banned anything with an incline greater than seven degrees. Here in Australia, however, no such ban exists, though consumer advocacy group Choice is calling for one.
“We’d like to see similar regulations in Australia,” says Gilmour.
Portacots fail to pass muster
Inclined sleepers aren’t the only worrying baby products on the market. A recent Choice investigation found 18 out of 26 portable cots tested failed to meet both the voluntary and mandatory Australian standards that the consumer advocacy group conducts its testing against. While some manufacturers disagreed with the findings about their products and provided Choice with reports from third-party labs indicating their products pass safety standards, Choice said it stands by its results.
“The most common safety issue we saw in our testing was a mattress that isn’t firm enough,” says Gilmour. “Which is a factor linked to sudden unexpected death in infancy.”
Parents who own one of the models flagged by Choice are advised to dispose of them immediately and contact the manufacturer for a full refund – although they warn that the manufacturer may not provide a refund unless an official recall is in place.
Red Nose Australia has an extensive resource hub for parents and carers that includes tips on how to ensure your baby’s sleep environment is safe.
“Education is a critical element of ensuring safe sleep for babies,” says Thornton. “All parents should be aware of the recommendation to put baby to sleep on their back, on a firm, flat surface unless (in very rare cases) specifically directed otherwise by their health professional.”
Advocates call for consistent standards
Gilmour says slow-acting government bodies can hinder appropriate safety measures being implemented.
“Unfortunately, we see the same issues with portable cots year after year,” she says. “This reflects the state of general product safety laws in Australia, which allow businesses to react to product safety problems after they happen, rather than actively trying to prevent them from occurring.
“This reactive approach puts consumers at risk and is deeply inappropriate for products like portable cots.”
While the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission declined to comment on the steps it may take to investigate the Choice report, which it occasionally does, the consumer watchdog says it is committed to investigating infant sleep safety issues as an official priority this year.
The commission last week closed submissions on a consultation paper outlining a range of proposed regulatory options aimed at preventing infant injuries and deaths caused by infant sleep products and inclined products.
“The infant sleep product consultation paper follows the ACCC’s recent launch of Your First Steps, a dedicated website where parents and carers can get reliable and up-to-date information on best practices … [and] unsafe products,” an ACCC spokesperson says.
On the Your First Steps website, parents are advised that “inclined or curved surfaces like baby ‘nests’, bouncers, rockers and swings should not be used while your baby is sleeping, as they can be a suffocation risk. Propping up baby on pillows or beanbags should be avoided for the same reason.”
The introduction of a holistic mandatory safety standard covering all infant sleep products is an option put forth in the consultation paper, and one both Choice and Red Nose Australia say they would support.
