Health Canada is warning consumers against using banned devices which let infants feed themselves unattended over choking and aspiration hazards.
The self-feeding contraption is designed to keep a baby bottle nipple in an infant’s mouth or support the bottle by placing it on top of or next to the baby so the infant doesn’t need to hold it.
The product was sold on Amazon.ca under the name, “Bottle Holder for Baby Self Feeding, Baby Bottle Holder Nursing Pillow, Twin Baby Essentials baby Bottle Holder Hands Free for Mam, Adjustable Baby Bottle Breastfeeding Must Haves” from the brand LQR.
The device can make it difficult for the infant to stop feeding due to their placement or because they’re designed to let the infant feed from them before they’ve developed the muscles needed to hold the bottle themselves. All infant self-feeding devices are banned in Canada, the advisory says.
“This product poses a choking or aspiration hazard to the infants using them, which can end in illness or death from aspirating the feeding liquid,” Health Canada says. “When feeding, infants regurgitate small amounts of liquid food; therefore, they should be monitored at all times while feeding.”
Amazon.ca reported 105 units of the product were sold in Canada, but no incidents or injuries were reported to Health Canada as of Monday.
Anyone who bought one of the devices should stop using it immediately and throw it out. The product has also been removed from Amazon.ca for sale in Canada.
