Update from the Made for Mums website:
Are baby sleeping nests and pods safe?
You may have seen recent reports about the safety of baby sleep positioners, which implied that this may also include 'anti-roll' products and baby 'nests'.
In October 2017, the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) reissued a warning urging parents not to use these products as they may cause suffocation.
Here at MadeForMums we spoke to the Lullaby Trust to get clarity on the definition of sleep positioners. The Lullaby Trust told us:
"It is our understanding that sleep positioners are straps or wedges that hold a baby in place.”
As baby nests and pods don't strap or wedge babies in place, they don't appear to fall under the sleep positioners highlighted in the FDA report.
However, The Lullaby Trust also states that pods and nests do not meet the safe sleeping guidelines that it promotes – although this is not connected to the FDA warning.
“The evidence shows that the safest way to sleep a baby is on a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in a cot or moses basket and we would not recommend any sleep surface that does not conform to these guidelines,” the Lullaby Trust told us.
According to the Trust, the fact that pods and nests have mattresses with raised, padded sides mean that they don’t meet the “flat” requirements of the guidelines. However, the Trust also acknowledges that there’s no evidence they are unsafe.
Like so many issues in parenting, there's no definitive answer right now, as there just isn't enough research.
So we always recommend you follow manufacturer instructions and check out the safety tips on co-sleeping, or the The Lullaby Trust's guidelines for sleeping safely and the NHS guidelines on how to reduce SIDS.