Health Canada is warning new parents about a popular cushioned bed for newborns that could pose suffocation risks.
Baby nests, also known as baby pods, are portable sleeping pads with soft sides often advertised as a cozy form of bed-sharing for parents and their babies.
But the padded sides of a baby nest may increase the risk of suffocation for a child, Health Canada says, and placing baby nests on soft surfaces like beds or couches further increases that risk.
The agency adds that baby nests should never be placed inside cribs, cradles, bassinets or playpens, and that children should be supervised at all times when in a baby nest.
Health Canada is reviewing the safety review of the products and officials say they will take “appropriate enforcement action with responsible companies.”
The agency does not recommend any baby products that are meant to be placed in an adult-sized bed due to concerns of entrapment and suffocation.
Instead, Health Canada says babies should sleep on flat, firm surfaces without openings or gaps.
“The safest place for a baby to sleep is on his or her back, alone in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets current Canadian regulations,” Health Canada said in a statement Friday.
But sharing a room with a child is a good practice. Health Canada says that some research has proven that sharing a room with a baby can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
