'Risk of death or serious harm' from baby self-feeding pillows, CCPC warns

A self-feeding pillow is designed to hold a bottle, keep it in the baby’s mouth and free up the parent’s hands, allowing the baby to feed themselves. Image: CCPC

Parents have been warned of a “risk of death or serious harm” to infants, as the consumer protection watchdog announced an immediate ban on the sale of baby self-feeding pillows.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said  self-feeding pillows put children at risk of choking or aspiration pneumonia.

It said it had identified baby self-feeding pillows on sale on non-EU websites targeted at Irish consumers. As of yet, the CCPC has not identified any for sale in retail stores in Ireland.

A self-feeding pillow is designed to hold a bottle, keep it in the baby’s mouth and free up the parent’s hands, allowing the baby to feed themselves. In such a situation, the baby will not be able to control the flow of milk and the milk will continue to flow even if the baby is not swallowing.

This can lead to choking, and the baby may not have the dexterity or cognitive behaviour to otherwise raise the alarm. Furthermore, aspiration pneumonia can occur if the milk goes into the lungs rather than the stomach, which could arise if the flow of milk is too fast and the baby is not able to keep up by swallowing the milk.

“They are dangerous and go against HSE advice on safe bottle-feeding,” said the CCPC’s director of product safety Clara Thornton.

“If any consumer comes across these products they should report them to the CCPC.” 

Under the ban, businesses must immediately remove these products from the market as they do not comply with safety regulations and are dangerous products.

Irish businesses are also instructed not to import these products.

The HSE’s national clinical lead for the child public health programme, Dr Abigail Collins, urged parents to always hold their baby in their arms if feeding with a bottle.

“Make the most of this time to bond with your baby,” Dr Collins said.

“Look into your baby’s eyes — this helps them to feel safe and loved. Never leave your baby to drink a bottle on their own. Propping or leaning the bottle using a pillow, self-feeding pillow or any other support can be dangerous. Doing this could cause your baby to choke.” 

The CCPC said those who already own a self-feeding pillow should immediately stop using it and dispose of it safely so it cannot be used by anyone else.

It added: “Consumers who find baby self-feeding pillows for sale in Ireland, either online or in retail stores, are urged to report them to the CCPC immediately.”