Product Safety Alert: Baby Sleep Pillows (PSA8)
This is a Product Safety Alert from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for a product commonly known as a 'Baby Sleep Pillow.' Baby Sleep Pillows can pose a risk of suffocation, overheating and death to babies. This Alert is for consumers (particularly parents and caregivers to babies), childcare and educational establishments, local authority trading standards and businesses to warn of the potential harm that baby sleep pillows can pose.
Key safety messages
- 鈥楤aby Sleep Pillows鈥櫶齭hould not be used for babies听under听12 months old.听听
- Do not place a 鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillow鈥� in a cot or crib.
What are 鈥楤aby Sleep Pillows鈥�
鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillows鈥櫶齛re听products which are marketed or intended to be used as pillows or cushions for babies to sleep on or with,听or听to be听placed on听or with,听unsupervised.听听
The听product听images in the听news story and consumer safety alert poster听links, which can be found under Additional Information and Resources,听are not intended to听represent听all products covered by the alert and are illustrative only.
Why are they dangerous?
鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillows鈥櫶齢ave been linked to child fatalities听in the UK and overseas.听
The main harms听are听suffocation听and听overheating听which can lead to serious injury听or death听in听babies. These听harms听can听occur when听a baby is听placed on the听鈥橞aby听Sleep Pillow鈥櫶齯nattended听or for sleep听including听when听the pillow听is听put into听a听cot or听crib.听听
Suffocation:听Soft, squishy materials can cover听a听baby鈥檚 mouth and nose if they are pressed against it and could cause the baby to suffocate.听
Overheating:听If a baby is sleeping on a soft surface that their head can sink into, heat is prevented from escaping and they can get too hot. There is a higher risk of SIDS听(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)听if a baby overheats.
Background
鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillow鈥櫶齣s a generic term used in this Product Safety Alert. However, other common names for these products include, but are not limited to:
- Baby Anti-stress Cushion听听
- Baby Comfort Cushion听
- Baby Cuddle听Cushion听
- Baby Hug Pillow听
- Baby Pillow
- Sleeping Pillow听
- Stuffed Pillow听
- Baby Sleep Cushion听
- Exhaust Pillow
OPSS has significant concerns about 鈥楤aby Sleep Pillows鈥� marketed for babies under 12 months old. These products promote sleep or care practices that contravene NHS Safe听Sleep听guidance and can give rise to significant harm or death. Action is being taken to assess these products and to remove unsafe products from the听market.听
Consumers, carers, educators,听Local听Authority听Trading听Standards听and businesses are asked to be alert to the dangers of听鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillows鈥櫶齛nd to听take action, where听appropriate, as advised below.
Advised Action
Consumers, Childcare and Education Settings:
- 鈥楤aby Sleep Pillows鈥櫶齭hould not be used for babies听under听12 months old.听听
- Do not place a 鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillow鈥� in a cot or crib.听
- If the product was marketed for baby sleep,听or to be used unattended,听you should contact the business that supplied the product;听you may be entitled to redress under the听Digital Markets听Competition and Consumers Act 2024.听
- Always follow听NHS safe sleep advice听(linked to听in this alert听under Additional Information and Resources), which听includes:听
- Always place听a baby on its back to听sleep;听
- Be听aware of signs that could听indicate听overheating,听including a baby听feeling听hot听on their tummy,听sweating, especially from the face and head, being听irritable听or听breathing听faster than usual.
Businesses
-
Must听comply with听their obligations under product safety law to only place听safe听products听on the market.听Any products that are unsafe must be removed听from sale听and听appropriate corrective听action taken.听
-
Must ensure that any pillow or cushion product they manufacture, import or sell听is听not marketed as a sleep pillow for听a听baby听under 12 months old听and does听not feature claims,听images听or statements听that听promote听or encourage听its听use for baby sleep听or unattended use.听听
-
Must ensure that clear warnings are included with any听cushion or pillow product听where听there is a听reasonable expectation that听it听may听be misused for baby sleep.
Local Authority Trading Standards and Environmental Health in Northern Ireland
- Notify businesses selling听鈥楤aby听Sleep听Pillows鈥櫶齠or infants under 12 months听听within your area that the products听promote unsafe baby sleep or care practices which contravene NHS guidance. 鈥楤aby Sleep Pillows鈥� assessed to be unsafe听should be removed from sale.听
- Contact OPSS for听additional听information听on product risk.听
- The Product Safety Alert听does not听apply to nursing pillows or other pillows designed and marketed to be used only for breastfeeding.听听It also听does not听apply to baby or cot mattresses which听comply with听British Standard BS EN 16890:2017 + A1:2021.听It also听does not apply听to pillows听intended for children over 12 months which听comply with听British Standard听BS听4578:1970.
Additional Information and Resources
- OPSS News Story:鈥�Safety Alert issued for Baby Sleep Pillows
- NHS Guidance on听Safer Sleep for Babies:鈥�
- NHS Guidance on听Reducing the risk of SIDS:听听
- NHS Guidance on Baby and Toddler Safety:听