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FDA Warns Against Using Baby Neck Floats After 1 Dies, 1 Hospitalized

Parents and caregivers are being urged by the FDA not to use baby neck floats after at least one infant died and another was hospitalized.

In both cases, the babies were injured while not being directly monitored, the agency warned.

The inflatable plastic rings can be worn around a baby's neck, letting the infant float freely in water. Some are marketed for those as young as two weeks old, as well as premature babies or those with developmental delays or disabilities.

While the necks floats are touted by manufacturers as a product that gives babies mobility and as a valuable tool for special-needs infants and kids, the FDA said the effectiveness of the products has not been verified.

The Administration recently became aware of companies marketing neck floats for use as a water therapy tool without FDA clearance or approval, it stated.

"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 agency stated. "The risks of using neck floats include death due to drowning and suffocation, strain and injury to a baby's neck. Babies with special needs such as spina bifida or SMA Type 1 may be at increased risk for serious injury."

Baby neck floats started gaining in popularity several years ago, with photos of the pint-sized swim devices cropping up on social media and prompting one pediatrician to describe the products as "potential death traps."

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