New parents have been given an urgent warning to avoid ‘potentially lethal’ baby sleeping bags being sold in the UK.
An investigation by consumer rights group Which? pinpointed 35 products which posed a serious suffocation risk.
These products were found for sale on online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, ManoMano, and Etsy.
These sleeping bags all featured large hoods which can fall down over a baby’s face and suffocate them.
Several of the baby sleeping bags for sale also failed to include arm holes, in clear violation of the British Standards Institution’s safety standards.
Without arm holes, the baby can slip down inside the bag, covering their faces and risking fatal suffocation.
Shockingly, these deadly sleeping bags were nearly identical to products officially recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) due to suffocation risks just four months earlier.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, says: ‘It’s outrageous that dangerous baby sleeping bags are still being sold on online marketplaces.’
A Which? investigation has revealed 35 ‘potentially lethal’ baby sleeping bags being sold on online marketplaces such as Amazon
Several of the sleeping bags include hoods, which can fall down over the baby’s face while they move in their sleep and cause suffocation
Despite clear rules that baby sleeping bags must not have any features that could cover the baby’s face, Which? found that online marketplaces are still selling dozens of potentially deadly items.
One teddy bear-shaped sleeping bag sold on Amazon and marketed as a ‘newborn reception blanket’ lacked arm holes and had a hood.
Another sleeping bag sold on eBay shows an image of a baby being ‘positively swamped by this item’, creating a serious risk of suffocation.
These specific listings were removed after Which? contacted the marketplaces with their concerns.
However, a week after Which? reported these items to the marketplaces, two dozen similarly dangerous products were still available for sale.
A search by The Daily Mail found several products still listed on Amazon which lacked arm holes or incorporated hoods.
This included a ‘Baby Swaddle Blanket’ that is nearly identical to one of the removed listings.
An Amazon spokesperson says: ‘We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.
Other sleeping bags identified by the study do not have arm holes. Without armholes, the baby can fall down into the bag and suffocate
A safe baby sleeping bag will have arm holes and no extra material such as hoods or bows. Without these features there is a risk of the baby’s face being covered, which can lead to fatal suffocation (stock image)
Of 15 baby sleeping bags previously tested by Which? only these three products passed all of their tests. Pictured: John Lewis & Partners Savanna Zebra Stripe Sleep Bag 1 Tog (left), Mamas & Papas Welcome To The World Dreampod 0-6 months 1 Tog (middle) and the Asda George Pale Blue Dinosaur Print 2.5 Tog Sleeping Bag (right)
‘The products flagged are not in scope of the safety alerts shared by Which?.’
An eBay spokesperson responded: ‘Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We work diligently to keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists.’
Which? is urging parents to avoid any sleeping bags which feature hoods, excess material such as large bows, or any other novelty additions.
While they might appear cute, any extra material has a risk of covering the baby’s face while they move around in their sleep.
Likewise, infant mortality charity The Lullaby Trust cautions parents against using any products that restrict the baby’s movement or position them in a way that could block their airways.
That means steering clear of baby sleeping bags that lack arm holes, which could trap the baby in a dangerous position.
Additionally, Which? suggests avoiding any products that are marketed as having multiple uses, such as a swaddle, stroller, cover, or baby cocoon.
Baby sleeping bags have to conform to strict safety rules, and there is no guarantee that these mixed-use items will be safe.
A search by The Daily Mail found that blankets nearly identical to those identified by Which? are still being sold on Amazon
Which? says that two dozen unsafe sleeping bags like this one were still available for sale on online marketplaces a week after the marketplaces were informed
Earlier this year, the OPSS undertook test purchasing of a range of items for sale on online marketplaces, including baby sleeping bags, and ‘worked with online marketplaces to remove the listings’.
Despite this, Which? investigation shows that online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are still allowing dangerous products to be sold.
Which? argues that this ‘major intervention’ by the OPSS clearly ‘failed to make a lasting change to online marketplaces’.
The group is now calling for regulations to put a legal duty on online marketplaces, enforcing a legal duty to prevent the sale of dangerous items.
At present, marketplaces are not recognised as an actor in the supply chain, meaning they have no legal responsibility for the safety of goods sold by third parties.
Which? says it would like to see the government impose rules that would make online marketplaces legally responsible for items they sell.
Ms Davies says: ‘Our previous investigations showed this is part of a wider pattern: unsafe products are removed, only to resurface.
‘The only way to break this cycle is by holding online marketplaces legally accountable, with tough penalties for failures.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .