Canadians warned to ‘immediately stop using’ infant self-feeding devices

Health Canada is warning people to stop using infant self-feeding devices available on Walmart.ca, saying they pose risks of choking or breathing hazards to infants. (Health Canada recall website)

Health Canada is warning people to stop using infant self-feeding devices available on Walmart.ca, saying they pose risks of choking or breathing hazards to infants that can result in illness and even death.

“Immediately stop using the affected products and dispose of them,” Health Canada wrote on the consumer product recall page on its website Friday. “These devices allow an infant to either hold the bottle and feed before developing the needed muscles to do this independently, or the bottles are situated in a way that makes it difficult for the infant to stop feeding.”

The affected infant self-feeding devices have been removed from Walmart.ca and Health Canada has contacted the foreign third-party sellers, the department said.

Walmart.ca reported that 11 units of the products were sold in Canada.

So far no injuries or incidents related to the products were reported to Health Canada.

“The Department regularly tests consumer products available for sale in stores or online and continues to monitor products to help keep consumers safe,” it wrote.

Infant self-feeding devices are already banned in Canada under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and categorized as a prohibited product that is not allowed to be sold, imported, or advertised in the country and are “subject to being detained at the border,” according to the government.

Affected products

The device allows infants to feed themselves without their caregivers holding the bottle.

The following devices are being recalled:

-Adjustable Baby Holder Baby Bottle Rack Support Clip Water 105cm (6VXZGADIFCKI)

-Babies Bottle Holder Baby Trolley Feeding Cloth Fixing Bracket Stroller Bottle Infant Nursing Cart Accessories Adjustable (4U5VAV6XYGXH)

-Baby Bottle Holder Multifunction Adjustable Bottle/Cup Strap Bottle Sling for Hands Free Bottle Feeding (4HY1L44QO3EB)

-Multifunctional Baby Bottle Holder Hands Free Clip for Pushchair Infant black (5LEAUKL2Y79C)

The companies involved are eCanada from Charlotte, N.C.; Lipstore from Shenzhen, China; and

Siruishop from Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

Advice for consumers

Since babies regurgitate small amounts of liquid food, they should be monitored at all times while feeding to reduce the dangers, Health Canada advises.

Caregivers also typically need to burp the infant from time to time while feeding, it 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,” it wrote.

Health Canada said consumers can report any health or safety incidents by filling out this form online.