3.3 Million Boppy Baby Loungers Recalled After 8 Infants Die
Boppy, a trusted name among parents, is recalling more than 3 million baby loungers after they were linked to at least 8 infant deaths
For parents, there are few names as well-known and trusted as The Boppy Company. Boppy nursing pillows first hit the market in 1989 and quickly became a must-have for new moms. Now, the company has expanded its product line to include clothes, loungers, and more. But this week, it’s recalling more than 3 million infant loungers after investigators determined they were linked to the deaths of at least eight babies.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the babies suffocated after being placed on their backs, stomachs, or sides on the loungers. The eight deaths occurred between December 2015 and June 2020.
“These types of incidents are heartbreaking,” acting CPSC Chairman Robert S. Adler said in a statement. “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.”
The recall comes after CPSC previously issued a warning to parents, saying they shouldn’t let infants sleep on lounger pillows.
A Boppy spokesperson told CBS the company was “devastated to hear of these tragedies,” and added, “The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The recall is for all Boppy Newborn Loungers, which were sold in three models: the Original Newborn Lounger, the Preferred Newborn Lounger and the Pottery Barn Kids Newborn Lounger. They were sold beginning in 2004 for between $30 and $44, at a wide range of retailers including Amazon, Pottery Barn Kids, Target, and Walmart. The company says parents who already own a lounger should stop using it immediately, and contact them for a refund.
Amazon is sending messages to customers who have purchased the lounger:
In response to the deaths linked to these loungers, CPSC approved a new rule that’s set to take effect in 2022 that will ban certain types of sleep products for infants. “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,” advocacy group Kids in Danger said in a statement.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should only sleep on their backs on firm, flat surfaces without bedding, padding, bumpers, or retraints.
