The UK Government has issued an 'Urgent Safety Alert' for all self-feeding products for babies. The alert, issued on the Government's website, says the products present a risk of serious harm or death from choking or aspiration pneumonia.
The alert orders businesses selling these products to remove them from the market immediately. And it instructs all parents to immediately stop using these products "and to dispose of them safely."
The alert reads: "The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPPS) has issued an Urgent Safety Alert for baby self-feeding products and is urging the public to stop using them immediately and dispose of them safely.
"Businesses selling these products must immediately remove them from the market as they cannot comply with the safety requirements under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
"Baby self-feeding products are designed to enable babies to bottle feed with little to no assistance from a caregiver. This creates a risk of serious harm or death from:
- Choking on the feed
- Aspiration pneumonia
"Using self-feeding products is also inconsistent with NHS guidance in relation to safe bottle feeding. This action follows a previous safety alert about baby Self-Feeding Pillows / Prop Feeders published on 30 November 2022 and applies to all baby self-feeding products.
"Consumers, local authority trading standards services and businesses are asked to take specific action to cease use or remove these products from the market as advised below.
"OPSS has identified that this category of products will always be dangerous due to their design and intended use and can never be made safe. Consumers should immediately stop using these products and dispose of them safely."
Businesses must immediately remove these products from the market as they cannot comply with the safety requirements under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 - and must comply with their obligations under product safety law.
The alert also says that Local Authority Trading Standards and Northern Ireland Environmental Health "should identify and take appropriate action against businesses that sell baby self-feeding pillows as they do not comply with the safety requirements set down in the General Product Safety Regulations 2005".
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