Bassinets from Kmart, Stokke and Fisher-Price pose serious suffocation risks for babies, according to the consumer group Choice.
Out of 10 bassinets tested by Choice, four were found to have serious safety failures: the Kmart Anko Bassinet with Canopy, Childcare Osmo Bassinet, Fisher-Price Soothing View Bassinet and Stokke Sleepi Mini V3 and mattress.
Unlike cots, there are no mandatory Australian safety standards for bassinets.
Kim Gilmour, Choice’s baby product expert, said it meant “year after year we continue to see unsafe bassinets make it on to the shelves”.
In Choice’s latest test, the most concerning findings were ill-fitting or insufficiently firm mattresses and non-breathable areas on the side of bassinets, which can create an unsafe sleeping environment.
Choice found the bassinets from Childcare, Stokke and Fisher-Price had mattresses that were too soft, with coverings that puffed at the sides and ends, posing a suffocation risk if the baby rolls over, Gilmour said.
“If babies in bassinets do happen to roll over on their side, they can’t really right themselves up, and they could end up with their face first against a soft surface. If it is a firm surface, then there is an area for them to breathe,” Gilmour said.
Gilmour said Choice uses a standard firmness testing procedure for mattresses, which involves simply putting a special weight on to each test case.
Choice said the Kmart Anko cot and the Childcare cot failed its test because the bassinets had areas of non-breathable material around the edges of the bassinet, which also pose a suffocation risk if the infant rolls on to their side.
Choice said it would recommend consumers who have bought one of these bassinets take it back to the retailer and ask for a refund, and if the retailer doesn’t give a fair refund, the complaint can be escalated to the state or territory fair trading body.
Choice tests bassinets every two years, and in the past Gilmour said some manufacturers have taken their findings on board while others have continued to keep their poorly rated models on the market.
Craig Pennell, the chair of the National Scientific Advisory Group for Red Nose, said the organisation was concerned by the failure of several bassinets to meet the basic standards set by Choice.
“The lack of safety standards for bassinets has been an ongoing issue, and Red Nose continues to advocate for an Australian standard, similar to the requirements for cots,” Pennell said.
Guardian Australia approached Kmart, Childcare, Stokke and Fisher-Price for comment. Kmart, Childcare and Fisher-Price were yet to respond.
Stokke said it was “very surprised to see that Choice has failed the Sleepi Mini”.
“Stokke products have always passed the Australian standards, which are some of the highest standards around the world. Stokke use third party labs to ensure all of the safety tests are done correctly,” it said in a statement.
“There is no such problem in any other country by any company creating their own standard. These products of ours are sold in very high quantities all around Europe, America and Asia with no such problem.”
Stokke said once it learned of the Choice report failing the Sleepi Mini, it urgently arranged another new test in the third-party lab Intertek, which was the same test configuration as Choice, and passed.
“The test reports we have done prior to launching this range and after the Choice report prove that the mattress is not a safety concern.”
“If we want to reproduce the situation of puffed at the sides, the test technician needs to apply force to the test tool deliberately and push it to the edge of the mattress. This test method deviates from the test standard.
“It is worth noting that even if the side of the mattress is puffed, the cover of the Sleepi mattress is made of 3D mesh material, and the material has excellent air permeability. It also does not pose a suffocation hazard to children.”
Choice also published responses from the companies. Kmart told Choice its bassinet was designed, constructed and tested to meet the European standard.
Kmart said it noted Choice’s comments on non-breathable material.
“We have incorporated in our design to have as much breathable zone as possible without impacting the structural strength of the bassinet.
“We are keen to understand more about testing conducted by Choice, as it may assist in informing product assessments along with future product iterations.”
Childcare told Choice “in response to our findings, the manufacturer provided us with a test report from an accredited lab saying its mattress passed the firmness test”.
“It also said it did not think the criteria we test breathability to was applicable to the product.”
Choice said it stands by its test method and test results.
Fisher-Price also provided no response to Choice.
