The dangers of nappy sacks are being raised following two deaths in Derbyshire in just over one year.
In both cases, the infants died due to putting the nappy sacks over or into their mouths. There have been at least 16 confirmed cases of baby deaths due to nappy sacks in England and Wales in 2015.
This is a very real risk to young babies. There are several factors to do with a baby’s physiology, and how nappy sacks are made and used, that make them dangerous:
- For convenience, nappy sacks are kept close to hand when changing nappies, possibly within reach of the baby themselves.
- The grasp reflex in newborn babies is very well-developed. It is strong enough for it to support the weight of its own body. So babies can easily grab the sacks and draw them to their mouths. But they simply can’t remove them as easily.
- Nappy sacks are thin and flimsy – they scrunch up to next to nothing making them easy to swallow.
- Warning of suffocation are not printed on the bags themselves – EU rules require warnings to be printed on product packaging.
- What exacerbates the risk is that many brands of nappy sacks are packed as single items. Nappy sacks on a roll, like bin bags, are safer as they are much more difficult (but NOT impossible) for a baby to detach.
However, by far the most significant factor is that parents simply don’t know there’s a risk. I think one reason is that nappy sacks are a relatively new product, which have quickly become essential for the majority of parents who use disposable nappies.
My message if you use nappy sacks: Always keep nappy sacks well out of reach of babies and never put them in a cot, pram or buggy.
Hope this is a useful summary and please let me have your feedback or other suggestions.
