A MAJOR consumer warning has been issued over the potential safety risks of baby nests and baby sleep bags.
This comes as over 4,500 baby nests and sleep bags have been recalled in Ireland between 2021 and 2022.
The warning has been issued by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), who are responsible for ensuring products sold in Ireland meet safety standards.
Over the course of 2020 to 2021, the CCPC took place in an EU wide study to establish standardised testing for specific infant products.
This EU study resulted in 4,524 baby sleep bag units and 36 baby nest units being recalled as they were found to be dangerous.
Baby sleep bags, which are wearable blankets designed to keep babies at a comfortable and safe temperature, can pose a number of serious risks to children.
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These include suffocation, where the neck opening is too large, strangulation due to strings, cords, ties and ribbons and choking, due to to small parts such as buttons becoming detached.
The CCPC has urged consumers to follow its guidance on baby sleep bags before they consider buying these products.
While they found baby nests, which are ‘cocoon-like’ mattresses, not to be safe for unsupervised use.
These nests, also called baby pods or sleeping pods can also ppose a number of potentially serious risks to children.
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These include suffocation, where the gaps between the soft sides and base of the mattress could trap the baby’s head.
Strangulation, where drawstrings and ribbons are on certain styles of baby nests and choking as a result of the stuffing or small detachable parts becoming accessible to babies.
Again, the CCPC has urged consumers to follow its guidelines on baby nests as well as encouraging people to report any retailers selling baby nest products with drawstrings and ribbons to its helpline.
Grainne Griffin, Director of Communications with the CCPC, said a “substantial number of dangerous products” have been recalled from the Irish market.
Griffin said: “Product safety testing and market surveillance is central to our role in protecting the welfare of consumers across Ireland.
‘DANGEROUS PRODUCTS’
“Where a safety issue is identified, the CCPC will take necessary action which, in the case of baby nests and baby sleep bags, involved a substantial number of dangerous products being recalled from the Irish market.
“A number of safety risks have been identified during the course of our work.
“The purpose of our guidance is to empower consumers with the knowledge of how to be product safety aware before they buy and avoid these risks.
“We know that safety is an essential consideration for consumers, particularly when it comes to our children.
“We would encourage all consumers who may be thinking about buying these products to visit ccpc.ie to follow our safety guidance on baby nests and baby sleep bags.”
Where a consumer is concerned they may have purchased an unsafe baby nest or sleep bag, they are advised to visit the CCPC’s recalls page at ccpc.ie to check if their product has been recalled.
For consumers who have safety concerns about a baby nest or sleep bag they’ve already purchased (and which has not been subject to a product recall) the CCPC advises them to stop using the product immediately and contact them as soon as possible via its consumer helpline: 01 402 5555 or email: ask@ccpc.ie
