FDA Issues Dire Warning For Parents Of Infants

Taking care of an infant is one of the hardest stages of parenthood considering that babies are very sensitive and vulnerable to anything and everything — from the toys they play with to the food they eat. Unfortunately, every year, the United States sees around 3,400 sudden unexpected infant deaths — many caused by their sleeping environment (via The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

According to the National Institutes of Health, you must remove all toys and blankets from the baby's sleeping area to ensure their safety. Yes, you heard that right. Soft bedding, bumper pads and pillows are the cause of death for many infants under one, per CNN. So, without blankets, the best way to keep your baby warm is by dressing up with a wearable blanket or warm clothes that don't cover the baby's head and face. However, there is one more sleeping product commonly used by infants that has come under scrutiny recently.

A recent press release by the Food and Drug Administration states that parents should not buy head shaping pillows for their babies because these baby products have no medical backing and may increase the possibility of death by suffocation.

Head shaping pillows include those that have rounded indentations or some specific design that aims to change the baby's head shape. These are usually used by parents who are concerned their children have flat head syndrome from sleeping on their backs. However, the FDA states that flat head syndrome usually goes away without treatments and will not lead to medical issues.

If parents have real concerns about their baby's head shape, immediately consult with a doctor as it could be a more serious condition such as craniosynostosis, according to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also recommends throwing away any head shaping pillows you may have at home, not donating them, as to avoid any damage to be caused.