Parents are being warned not to put "dangerous" face masks attached to dummies on babies amid fears of suffocation.
Health chiefs and charities have all issued stark warnings after a picture surfaced of a tiny face mask with a dummy sewn on the inside.
Horrified charities say the masks are dangerous to babies and the Scottish Government have made it clear that children under the age of five do not have to wear masks.
Charity bosses say staff have witnessed more and more babies wearing masks recently and are urging parents to stop the dangerous trend.
The Scottish Cot Death Trust say: "We received a report recently directly from a meeting of health visiting leaders that staff are witnessing more babies wearing face coverings.
"We understand that families may be anxious about being out in public places or travelling on public transport. Advice about face coverings for older children and adults does not apply to those under five years of age.
"It is dangerous for babies and toddlers to have their faces covered. There is a suffocation risk when their small airways are covered.
"Please don't use face coverings on your baby or toddler."
Uk-wide charity The Lullaby Trust also warned parents not to put masks on babies, saying: "We are not aware of any advice for babies to wear masks, whether they are infected or not. There is a potential risk of suffocation and other hazards with doing this. The latest Government guidance says that Children under 2 years do not need to wear masks."
Despite the warnings parents can still get their hands on tiny masks and even visors on internet shopping sites.
Face masks became mandatory in shops and public transport on June 24 in a bid to prevent coronavirus spreading however children under the age of 5 are exempt in Scotland and under the age of two in England.
