Health Canada Urges Parents to Discard Infant Self-Feeding Devices

Health Canada is warning against the use of infant self-feeding devices, which are banned in Canada due to their potential to pose life-threatening risks and their violation of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. Handout photo

An urgent advisory has been issued by Health Canada urging parents and caregivers to stop using infant self-feeding devices sold on AliExpress.ca because they pose serious choking and suffocation risks.

Infant self-feeding devices violate the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and are banned in Canada, the health agency said in a Jan. 24 advisory.

Health Canada is warning parents to immediately toss out all infant self-feeding devices. Handout photo

Some devices allow the baby to grasp the bottle and feed themselves prior to the development of the necessary muscles for independent feeding. Others are designed in such a manner that makes it challenging for the infant to stop feeding.

Both types represent a choking or aspiration hazard to the infants using them and can lead to illness or even death, Health Canada said.

“When feeding, infants regurgitate small amounts of liquid food; therefore, they should be monitored at all times while feeding to ensure the caregiver can intervene if any concerning fluid intake or behaviours appear while the infant is feeding,” the government agency said.

“Unattended infant feeding practices are discouraged by Health Canada and Canadian professional medical associations as independent feeding should not be done until the child is ready.”

The advisory lists the following self-feeding products:

• 300-millilitre Baby Bottle Kids Cup Silicone Sippy Children Training Cute Baby Drinking Water Straw Feeding Bottle Hands-free Bottle.
• 330-millilitre Baby Cups Can Be Rotated Magic Cup Kids Leak-proof Drinking Water Bottle Hand Free Cup BPA Free.
• Baby Feeding Bottle Long Straw Hands-free Bottle Nipple Multifunctional Baby Bottle Kids Cup Silicone Sippy Mouth NO BPA.
• Erduo Newborn Baby Water Feeding Bottles Gourdes Drinking Bottle Children with Straw Hands Free Silicone Baby Item Newborn Set.

AliExpress.ca reported that 60 units of the affected products were sold in Canada. AliExpress is based in China and owned by the Alibaba Group.

The products have since been removed from sale on the Canadian version of the online retailer’s website, Health Canada said. The agency has also contacted all foreign third-party sellers and is advising consumers to immediately dispose of the devices.

Health Canada has not yet received any reports of incidents or injuries associated with the products listed in the advisory.