Today the FDA issued a Safety Communication alert to healthcare providers, parents and caregivers of pediatric patients who receive enteral feeding. The delivery sets use tubing that can become wrapped around a child’s neck, leading to strangulation or death.

The agency received reports of two toddler deaths (both under the age of two), which occurred in 2021, as a result of strangulation by the tubing. In both instances, the toddlers were found with the tubing wrapped around their necks after a period of time in which “their caregivers were not directly monitoring them”, according to the FDA.

FDA has recommended that healthcare providers, parents and caregivers avoid leaving the feeding set tubing where infants or children can become entangled.

Enteral feeding delivery sets intend to provide nutrition to people who cannot eat, swallow or be fed by mouth to meet nutritional needs.