Parents have been warned of the dangers of headbands in a devastating social media post after a 14-week-old baby died.

The child suffocated when a headband with a bow on it slipped down her face and over her nose as she lay in her cot, according to the post.

Now other parents who choose to give their little ones these accessories are being warned of the potential dangers.

Leanne Willson posted about the incident on Facebook and said she was sharing the warning on behalf of her friend, the Manchester Evening News reported.

In her post, which has now been shared more than 80,000 times, she said: "All new mums please be aware.

"Putting this warning out for all mums who have wee babies and use the big bow headbands on them.

"My friend has sadly just lost her 14-week-old daughter whilst she thought she was sleeping in her carry cot after a long walk.

"When she came to check on her she had the bow headband down over her wee nose and mouth and wasn't moving. She had passed away.

"[A] post mortem revealed death due to suffocation asphyxiation. She wanted me to share for other new mums the danger some of these baby fashion accessories can have."

Leanne, from Glasgow, said her friend was "utterly devastated" by the tragedy which happened after she left her baby sleeping for "only 30 minutes whilst she showered and changed and forgot to remove her headband".

Almost 8,000 people have commented on Leanne's post.

One person commented: "Thank you for sharing and making other mums aware. These should be banned along with silly beaded dummy clips. As cute as they are, heath hazard."

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s public health adviser, warned parents to be cautious.

She said: "Children can easily swallow, inhale or choke on items left in their reach as they naturally grasp anything and put it in their mouths. Once in their mouth they find it difficult to remove the item.

"Parents can prevent the risk of choking and suffocation by ensuring that small objects or items are kept out of reach of children under the age of three."