Health chiefs have issued an urgent warning to parents to stop using a new self-feeding baby product that could cause serious injury or death.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) said the item, a self-feeding pillow shaped like an animal’s head, poses a substantial choking risk and could lead to aspiration pneumonia, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when food or liquid enters the lungs.
OPSS added that the device, designed to allow babies to feed with minimal help from a caregiver, has been described as inherently unsafe.
Trading standards officials warned that all baby self-feeding products are dangerous by design and cannot be made safe, regardless of their shape or appearance.
Businesses have also been instructed to withdraw the items from sale immediately, as they fail to meet safety requirements under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
An OPSS spokesperson said: "A new variant of dangerous baby self-feeding products has appeared where the pillow part is shaped like an animal’s head.
"These types of products are inconsistent with NHS guidance on safe bottle feeding.
"When used as intended, even under supervision, they can lead to serious harm or death from choking or aspiration pneumonia."
The regulator urged consumers to stop using and safely dispose of any such items.
This latest alert follows a similar safety warning issued in November 2022, when the OPSS cautioned that babies lack the ability to control the flow of milk or signal distress while using self-feeding pillows.
Experts note that choking is particularly dangerous for infants, as it is often silent. Gagging may produce coughing sounds, but choking typically prevents the baby from making any noise.
Aspiration pneumonia, one of the potential consequences, can develop if a baby inhales liquid into the lungs, leading to infection.
Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue. The condition is usually treated with antibiotics and oxygen therapy.
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