At least 12 baby deaths in America
have been linked to certain baby sleep positioners products sold worldwide, prompting
action by firms in the UK including Tesco and John Lewis.
Several UK retailers have stopped
selling baby sleep positioners amid fears they can cause babies to suffocate.
The baby sleepers,
sometimes called nests or wedges, are designed to keep baby on their back and
are advertised as suitable for use for new born babies, up to six months of
age.
Some parents use
them in the hope that their baby will sleep longer as it can make them feel cosy;
it is also believed to reduce the symptoms of reflux.
The US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has linked the products to at least 12 baby deaths in
America, several cases of which babies had rolled from their side to their
front and suffocated.
John Lewis and
Tesco among others have removed the products from their websites after American
authorities issued a fresh warning to parents, saying they were unsafe.
In a statement; John
Lewis announced that they have removed the Cocoonababy Sleep Positioner
from sale but still has a range of “nests” and “pods” available including the
Cocoonababy nest and the Sleepyhead. “Both of these
products were not considered to be sleep positioners and therefore were still
on sale” John Lewis said.
As a precautionary
measure “We have removed these products from our website.” A Tesco spokesman
said.
Mothercare have
also removed the Babymoov Cosy Dream sleep positioner from sale. Whilst other
retailers, including Amazon and JoJo Maman Bébé, are still offering them.
A spokeswoman for
JoJo Maman Bébé said it was still selling the products but was “investigating
the issue as a matter of urgency with our suppliers”.
A spokeswoman for
Amazon, which has a range of sleep positioner products for sale, said the firm
would not be commenting on the issue.
Several of the
products were still available on eBay but a spokeswoman said it was planning to
remove them. “Following recent recommendations by US authorities, items of this
nature will now be prohibited from being sold on our platform. Our team will be
informing sellers and removing any listings that contravene our policies,” she
said.
Manufacturers are
still selling the products via their websites. Babymoov said in a statement:
“We would like to assure customers that our award-winning,
paediatrician-approved Cosydream has never been involved in any incident
connected with infant fatality.
“Nor does the
Cosydream resemble the products that first gave rise to the FDA guidelines
seven years ago … our Cosydream has never been sold in the United States and
thus can’t be involved in the incidents [cited by the FDA]. Over 100,000
Cosydream units have been sold to satisfied customers worldwide since the
product was first launched four years ago.”
It said the design
of the Cosydream “enables babies to sleep safely on their back in accordance
with recommendations by the NHS”.
The FDA said it was
“reminding parents and caregivers not to put babies in sleep positioners. These
products – sometimes also called ‘nests’ or ‘anti-roll’ products – can cause
suffocation and can lead to death.” More helpful tips
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