Weighted stuffed animal for babies: why it is not safe

If your baby sleeps badly or cries a lot, you look for anything that can bring calm. That is very understandable. Online, you sometimes come across weighted stuffed animals, sleeping bags or blankets. The safe sleep organisations we consulted agree on this: weighted items do not belong with a baby. Below, you can calmly read why, and who you can ask to help you think it through. You can find all safety topics under safety.

What do paediatricians and safety organisations say?

In the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has advised since June 2022 that weighted blankets, weighted sleeping bags, weighted swaddles and other weighted objects do not belong on or near a sleeping baby. In June 2023, in a letter to the American regulator CPSC, the AAP called weighted baby products unsafe. The academy was even against a voluntary safety standard, because parents would then wrongly think that such products are safe. Besides weighted items, the AAP's website for parents also lists cuddly toys as something that does not belong in the cot.

Other organisations say the same. On its safe sleep page, the CPSC advises not to use weighted blankets or swaddles. The American Safe to Sleep campaign advises keeping weighted items and soft objects, such as cuddly toys, out of the sleep area altogether. In Canada, according to news reports from 2023, Health Canada advises against weighted sleep products for babies, and a Canadian government page points out that babies can suffocate in cuddly toys. The Lullaby Trust in the UK advises a clear cot, without weighted bedding and without cuddly toys.

What do Dutch and Flemish sources say?

Dutch and Flemish guidelines do not mention weighted products by name. They do cover cuddly toys in bed, and that advice is clear.

The Dutch youth healthcare guideline on preventing cot death (JGZ-richtlijn Preventie wiegendood) says to avoid things like small pillows and large cuddly toys in the cot. A leaflet from VeiligheidNL, the Dutch consumer safety institute, advises against putting cuddly toys made of soft, stuffed fabric or plastic in the cot. In its protocol for safe sleep in childcare (2026), VeiligheidNL explains that the risk lies mainly in large, stuffed cuddly toys: a baby's face can sink into them.

Kind en Gezin, the Flemish child and family agency, writes that cuddly toys, pillows and large cloths do not belong in bed, and advises against cuddly toys during sleep until the age of 1. A small comforter cloth is fine. According to Kind en Gezin, every extra object in bed brings extra risks.

A weighted stuffed animal is usually bigger than a comforter cloth, as well as stuffed and heavy. So it does not fit any of this advice.

Why is weight not safe for a baby?

Organisations give a few clear reasons.

The chest. The Safe to Sleep campaign writes that weight can restrict a baby's growing ribcage. An American paediatrician who co-wrote the AAP guideline explains that a baby's ribs are still made of cartilage, so weight presses on the lungs and heart.

Oxygen levels. According to the AAP, unpublished data point to lower oxygen levels in the blood of babies under a weighted product. Low oxygen levels over a long time can harm the growing brain. There is no published research showing that weighted products are safe for babies. The AAP stresses that a lack of evidence of harm is not the same as evidence of safety.

Rolling over and pushing away. A baby who rolls onto their tummy may no longer be able to lift their head with weight on it. A baby also cannot push a heavy stuffed animal away by themselves, while that is the most important safety rule of all.

Warmth. The Safe to Sleep campaign also mentions the risk of a baby overheating.

The pellets. A weighted stuffed animal gets its weight from small pellets. Under the European toy rules, toys for children under 36 months must not have parts that can be swallowed or breathed in. If a seam opens, the pellets come out.

Have there been accidents?

According to the CPSC, there is at least one report of a baby who died where a weighted product was involved. In April 2024, a CPSC commissioner spoke of several deaths and called on shops to reconsider selling these products. Shortly afterwards, several large American retail chains stopped selling weighted sleep products for babies. The AAP called this a strong first step. Exactly how many accidents there have been is not well known. That is precisely why organisations follow the precautionary principle.

How is it different from a birth weight teddy?

There are also cuddly toys that weigh exactly the same as a baby did at birth. These are sometimes called birth weight teddies. They are a lovely keepsake for parents or family, not a toy for the baby, and also not a weighted stuffed animal. A birth weight teddy does not belong in the cot either. You can read about the difference in birth weight teddy or weighted stuffed animal.

What can you do for a restless baby?

For a baby, a clear, safe cot is the best starting point. Kind en Gezin advises a firm mattress and a sleeping bag, with a small comforter cloth if you like.

If your baby sleeps restlessly or cries a lot, talk about it with your health visitor or child health clinic, or your baby's doctor. If you are unsure about your baby's health, contact your GP. They can help you think about what suits your child, so you do not have to face it alone.

From the age of 3, a weighted stuffed animal can have a lovely place, with a few fixed rules. For this, read from what age a weighted stuffed animal is suitable and the most important safety rules.