S’pore’s consumer safety watchdog issues safety alert over baby self-feeding pillows

SINGAPORE – Parents and caregivers who have bought a type of pillow that enables a baby to self-feed from a bottle should stop using the product immediately, said Singapore’s consumer safety watchdog.

In a safety alert on April 7, the Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) said these self-feeding pillows pose serious risks of choking and suffocation to babies.

In photos of the products included in the alert, a baby can be seen lying on a pillow that wraps around the neck.

The front portion of the pillow, laid on the baby’s chest, has a pouch to which a bottle can be attached, allowing the baby to feed from the bottle without help from a caregiver.

“Babies do not have the dexterity or cognitive ability to control the flow of bottle-feed, know when to stop feeding, take action if they gag or choke, or raise the alarm if something is going wrong,” said CPSO, which comes under the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore.

“Babies also risk being smothered by the pillow when they move.”

It added that using the product could lead to serious harm, death, lung infection, suffocation and ear infection from choking on the feed.

A check by The Straits Times showed that such products were initially available for purchase via online platforms.

On Shopee, the listings appear to have been removed, though links to items matching the product description continue to turn up in search results.

A Shopee spokesperson said on April 21 that it is committed to maintaining a safe marketplace in line with local regulations.

“Following the CPSO alert, we promptly removed listings that do not comply with relevant safety requirements,” the spokesperson said, adding that the platform will continue to work with the authorities to ensure a safe experience for users.

A spokesperson from Lazada said that upon receiving guidance from CPSO, the retailer conducted reviews and removed listings that breached its policies.

“As part of our ongoing efforts, we continue to proactively monitor and remove similar listings to address any remaining listings on the platform,” the spokesperson said.

A check by ST at about 4.40pm on April 20 still showed at least one listing of the product on the platform.

Lazada’s spokesperson said the platform requires all sellers to comply with applicable local laws and regulations, as well as its platform policies.

“We also provide reporting channels for users to flag products of concern, which are reviewed and acted upon promptly. We encourage customers to refer to official advisories issued by CPSO for more information,” the spokesperson added.

According to CPSO’s alert, Australia, Britain and the US have issued similar warnings about the product.

CPSO reminded parents and caregivers that they should never leave a bottle propped up in a baby’s mouth using a pillow, a self-feeding pillow, blanket or other support, even if these are marketed as safe or are used under supervision.

They should watch a baby closely when feeding with a bottle and keep the baby semi-inclined, it added.