The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned parents to be on “high alert” for online advertisements claiming that products designed to position or elevate a baby could reduce symptoms or improve sleep. The regulator said such ads could pose serious risks to babies, as unsafe sleeping practices could lead to serious injury or even death.
The ASA checked 350 online ads for baby products and services, finding 59% were “high risk” and identifying 60 ads for follow-up action because of the potential risk of physical harm. Problems included claims that issues were caused by a baby lying flat, with products promoted as a solution by positioning or elevating the baby, claims that sleep or elevation devices could reduce or stop reflux, ease distress, improve sleep or prevent colic, and images of babies strapped into potentially unsafe sleep devices.
Guidance and findings
NHS guidance and the Lullaby Trust advise that babies should sleep flat on their backs on a firm, flat surface and warn against using inclined or elevated sleep products. The watchdog said many of the ads were clearly aimed at sleep-deprived or first-time parents, who may be particularly vulnerable to claims promising a quick solution to a distressed or unsettled baby.
The ASA issued its warning alongside a new safety alert from the Office for Product Safety and Standards about dangerous baby sleeping bags that include a hood or do not have arm holes. It urged parents to be wary of ads promising a “quick fix” for problems like reflux, colic or poor sleep, advising they check advice from trusted health and safer-sleep organisations instead.
Regulatory response
Jessica Tye, regulatory projects manager at the ASA, said: “Parents may, understandably, be worried and exhausted when their baby is struggling with reflux, colic or not sleeping and may be looking for anything that could help. But when an ad takes those worries and uses them to promote a product or practice that could put a baby in danger, it’s unacceptable and something we take very seriously. The ads we identified through our monitoring raised serious concerns for us, which is why we’re taking immediate action today to warn parents and share what we’ve found with our regulatory partners.”
Minister for consumer protection Kate Dearden said: “As these findings demonstrate, parents must be able to trust baby products are safe and do not undermine established medical advice. We will continue working closely with regulators, businesses and safer-sleep experts to remove unsafe baby products and hold those responsible to account.”
