Baby sleep positioners pulled by major retailers over links to suffocation deaths

Tesco, John Lewis, Mothercare and eBay have removed some positioners from sale following a warning they "could lead to death".

Sleep positioners have been linked to the deaths of 12 babies in the US

Major UK retailers have pulled baby sleep positioners from sale after warnings they could be linked to the deaths of 12 babies in the US.

Tesco, John Lewis, Mothercare and eBay have all removed some items following a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they "could lead to death".

The Consumer Product Safety Commission released this image to show how babies can move in the positioners

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has backed calls for the "unnecessary" products not to be used.

The sleep positioners - which can also be called nests or anti-roll products - are used to keep small babies aged up to six months on their back while they sleep.

The FDA has linked the products to at least 12 baby deaths in the US, which occurred when infants aged between one and four months suffocated after rolling from their side to their front.

The FDA and CPSC say they have also received dozens of reports of babies put inside positioners and later found in potentially hazardous positions.

On its website, the FDA says the positioners should never be used, and advises people to always put babies to sleep on their back inside an empty cot.

The NHS also advises that babies should be put to sleep on their back in a cot for the first six months, to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Tesco said it had removed items from sale "as a precautionary measure".

John Lewis has removed one item from sale, but is still selling a range of "nests" and "pods" which it says are not considered to be sleep positioners.

Amazon, however, is continuing to sell the positioners. A spokesman said the company would not be commenting on the issue.

Baby shop Jo Jo Maman Bebe is also still selling the products but says it is "investigating the issue as a matter of urgency".

Baby charity The Lullaby Trust has warned parents against "taking any chances".