Baby Bottle Self-Feeding Devices Are Banned From 26 May 2026, and Propping Is the Same Problem

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has imposed a permanent nationwide ban on baby bottle self-feeding devices, effective 26 May 2026. These are products that position a bottle or teat so an infant can feed without another person holding the bottle or without adult supervision.

The ban covers:

• products that position a bottle in an infant’s mouth (bottle propping)
• products worn on a person’s body that hold a bottle in place while a baby feeds
• flexible straw devices that connect a baby bottle to a teat

Supplemental nursing systems used to support breastfeeding, and sippy, trainer and straw cups, are not covered. The ACCC cites the risk of choking, aspiration and suffocation: babies cannot control the flow or remove the teat themselves.

The obligation is wider than the product

The National Regulations do not deal with infant feeding directly. That has led some services to treat the ban as a consumer product matter rather than a compliance matter. It is not. The relevant obligations already exist:

• Section 165 of the National Law. Children must be adequately supervised at all times.
• Section 167 of the National Law. Every reasonable precaution must be taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury.
• Regulation 78. Food and beverages served regularly through the day must be appropriate to each child’s needs.

A purpose-built device is now banned. But VECRA has made the point directly: propping a bottle against cushions, or in the infant’s mouth with a blanket, pillow or other object, is the same hazard. So is leaving an infant to feed unattended in any arrangement.

Active supervision, specifically

Adequate supervision during infant feeding means a person is holding the bottle and watching the child. Not in the room. Not nearby. Holding it.

Every educator is responsible for supervising actively and for communicating with colleagues so that supervision does not lapse during handovers, breaks or room transitions. Feeding times cluster, and that is exactly when supervision gaps appear.

What to do

• check that no self-feeding device is present anywhere in the service, including in items brought from home
• review the infant feeding policy so it states explicitly that bottles are never propped and infants are never left to feed unattended
• tell families about the ban. Some will have these devices at home and will not know
• include feeding supervision in the supervision plan, not just as a general principle
• follow safety guidance from recognised authorities, including Kidsafe Australia and the ACCC

This is the same discipline the 2026 child safety reforms ask for everywhere else: a clear rule, a named practice, and a record that shows it happened.

Sources

• ACCC Product Safety, Baby bottle self-feeding devices ban (productsafety.gov.au)
• ACCC, Permanent ban on baby bottle self-feeding devices now in effect (accc.gov.au)
• Consumer Goods (Baby Bottle Self-feeding Devices) Permanent Ban 2026 (legislation.gov.au)
• VECRA, Nationwide ban on baby bottle self-feeding devices (vecra.vic.gov.au)

This article provides general information for Australian ECEC services and approved providers. It does not constitute legal, regulatory or professional advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, service type and individual circumstances. Providers should confirm their obligations with ACECQA, their state or territory regulatory authority and qualified professional advisers.