Parents should not use or buy head straps for children’s car seats, the consumer watchdog has said, describing them as “extremely dangerous” accessories that can cause spinal injuries and strangulation.
On Thursday, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) issued a statement on head straps, following “extensive online market surveillance” by the body.
The head restraint accessory, which is sometimes described as a car seat head strap, a neck protection belt, head support hugger or a nap aid/sleep holder belt, claims to prevent a child’s head from falling forwards or sideways if they fall asleep.
The CCPC conducted a sweep of 100 product listings and attempted to obtain the safety documentation for each product.
All 100 listings were removed as the safety of the products could not be demonstrated.
The products in question were being sold across five online marketplaces: Amazon, Cdiscount, Joom, Shein and Wish, the watchdog said, though acknowledged they may be for sale on other platforms or websites.
An investigation by the CCPC’s product safety team established the products could cause serious injuries to a child’s spine or neck during a collision or suffocation if the strap slips over the child’s nose and mouth, or strangulation if the strap moves down to their neck.
These products have already been recalled in Malta, Germany and Australia. Although the number of products sold in Ireland is unknown, the CCPC is issuing a safety warning about the car seat head straps due to the serious risk they pose.
Grainne Griffin, CCPC director of communications, said products like this “prey on a parent’s basic instinct to protect their child”.
“But instead of making a toddler safer, they put the child much more at risk. If the strap slips down over the child’s face or neck, there is a serious risk of suffocation or strangulation,” she said.
Dr Katharine Harkin, consultant in public health medicine at the HSE, said there is “no evidence these products are safe to use”.
“Car seats are designed to keep your child as safe as possible while travelling. The safest approach is always to use a properly fitted, appropriate car seat and do not use any additional products. The HSE’s mychild.ie has more advice for parents on keeping their child safe while driving and other areas of child safety,” Harkin said.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) does not recommend the use of devices or accessories that are purchased separately from a child’s car seat.
Christine Hegarty, road safety and education manager at the RSA, said child car seats are “highly regulated and vigorously tested”.
They are designed to “perform and react in a specific way in the event of a collision”, she said, adding that any device that changes this process is dangerous.
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