If you’re heading to the pool with a baby this summer, there’s one item safety experts want you to leave at home. The U.S. Food and Drug administration just issued a warning against using baby neck floats due to the potential for injury or even death. Here’s the latest safety information parents and caregivers need to know.
Why are baby neck floats dangerous?
Baby neck floats are inflatable plastic rings that fit around an infant’s neck to help their bodies float freely in the water while their head remains above the surface. Some brands claim these floats are OK to use with babies as young as 2 weeks old, and parents and caregivers have used these while baby is in the bath or swimming. But, according to the FDA, the use of these rings can put babies at risk for serious injury. Baby neck floats are associated with at least one infant death and one hospitalization.
In a June 28 statement, the FDA warns that baby neck floats:
- Should not be used for water therapy intervention.
- Should not be used on babies with special needs or developmental delays.
- Increase the risk of neck strain and injury, especially in babies with spina bifida or SMA Type 1.
- Have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Do baby neck floats have any benefits?
Some manufacturers claim baby neck floats encourage a host of benefits, including increased muscle tone and flexibility and even better sleep. They’ve also been marketed as a support for water therapy interventions in babies with developmental delays or special needs. Unfortunately, the FDA says there isn’t sufficient evidence to support any of these claims.
“The safety and effectiveness of neck floats to build strength, to promote motor development or as a physical therapy tool, have not been established,” the FDA’s statement says.
Swim safety tips for infants and toddlers
Baby neck floats aren’t the only swim device experts say to avoid. Parents and caregivers may be surprised to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions against the use of most inflatable swim devices or “floaties.” Inflatable swim aids can give kids and adults a false sense of security and don’t pass as a substitute for an approved life jacket, the organization says.
In addition to leaving the floaties at home, the AAP also recommends:
- Formal swim instruction for kids 1 and up.
- Keeping kids under 5 within arm’s length whenever they’re in or near water.
- Wearing life jackets at all times near boats, docks or bodies of water.
- Keeping a fence or barrier around all pools, even inflatable ones.
In both accidents involving baby neck floats, injuries occurred when babies weren’t being directly monitored by their caregivers.
Currently, neck floats have not been recalled or removed from store shelves. MedWatch, the FDA’s Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting platform, is open to the public for new reports of adverse events related to the use of neck floats.
