Neck float rings for babies have become popular in many countries over the past few years. The inflatable plastic rings are designed to cradle a baby’s head as their body moves around underwater, and are thought to help infants’ motor development.
These ‘neck float donuts’ became top trending on Chinese social media today after the death of a 1-month-old baby in the province of Hunan. The neck float was used to let the baby girl have a bath under the supervision of the mother and grandmother.
The mother and grandmother did not notice anything was wrong with the infant until the father returned home and found her silent and motionless.
A local doctor reports that the caregivers initially thought the baby was just sleeping after her bath. At the hospital, the baby was found to have died of asphyxiation. Doctors now warn about the dangers of using these inflatable neck rings for babies.
The mother and grandmother did not notice anything was wrong with the infant until the father returned home and found her silent and motionless.
