3.3 million Boppy baby loungers recalled after 8 infant deaths
The Boppy Company is recalling about 3.3 million baby loungers linked to eight infant deaths, both the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. The recall comes nearly a year after the CPSC issued a safety warning about similar pillow-like baby products.
The infants reportedly suffocated after being placed on their back, side or stomach on the loungers, with the eight deaths occurring between December 2015 and June 2020, according to the CPSC and the Golden, Colorado-based company.
"These types of incidents are heartbreaking," acting CPSC Chairman Robert S. Adler said in the recall notice. "Loungers and pillow-like products are not safe for infant sleep, due to the risk of suffocation. Since we know that infants sleep so much of the time – even in products not intended for sleep — and since suffocation can happen so quickly, these Boppy lounger products are simply too risky to remain on the market."
Boppy is "devastated to hear of these tragedies," a Boppy spokesperson said in the statement of the infant deaths that occurred in the past six years. "The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use."
The recall involves all Boppy Newborn Loungers, which were sold in three models: the Bobby Original Newborn Lounger, the Boppy Preferred Newborn Lounger and the Pottery Barn Kids Newborn Boppy Lounger. Parents and caregivers should stop using the loungers immediately and contact the company for a refund.
Sold from January 2004 through September 2021 for between $30 and $44, the recalled products were distributed nationwide and in Canada by retailers including Amazon, Pottery Barn Kids, Target and Walmart.
The CPSC last October cautioned the public about letting babies fall asleep on such products, saying it was investigating reports of infant deaths.
The recall highlights the need for a new federal rule approved by the CPSC in June and set to take effect in the middle of 2022 that bans several types of sleep products for babies under five months old, according to one advocacy group. "Currently, too many products make their way onto the market that can appear to be for sleep but do not provide a safe sleep environment," Kids in Danger stated Thursday in a news release.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should sleep on their backs on firm, flat surfaces free of bedding, padded bumpers or restraints.
An investigation by Consumer Reports published earlier this month connected at least 28 infant deaths to lounging pads and nursing pillows, with seven of those deaths tied to Boppy products.