A Head-Shaping Pillow For Infants Can Cause Death, According To The FDA
It is important for new parents and caregivers to keep their babies sleeping on their backs and avoid soft bedding. No crib bumpers, blankets, or pillows with padding, including those claiming to shape the head of an infant. According to federal health officials, all are potentially deadly, and the latter serves no medical purpose. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration warned that the use of head-shaping pillows may create an unsafe sleeping environment for infants and increase their risk of suffocation and death. It said that companies had recently claimed that they could treat and prevent flat-head syndrome by using these products. There is no FDA Approval For The Pillows According to the agency, infant head shaping pillows cannot prevent or treat flat-head syndrome or other medical problems. Several retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, sell the products nationwide. Plagiocephaly: What Is It? A small baby pillow that has an indentation or hole in its center is marketed as a way to relieve flat-head syndrome. When babies spend a lot of time on their backs, flat spots on the back of their heads can develop. The FDA, however, reports that most cases of plagiocephaly are short-lived and improve with age.
Since 1994, the American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed the practice of back-sleeping for babies, a campaign that has been proven to drastically reduce incidents of sudden infant death syndrome. They also recommend that babies sleep on their backs, free of soft bedding. Millions of products, including rocking chairs, have been recalled due to the ongoing risk of suffocation among infants.