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The Boppy Company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 3.3 million Boppy newborn loungers after eight reported infant deaths connected to them.
The infants reportedly suffocated after they were placed on their back, side or stomach on the lounger and found on their side or stomach. The deaths occurred from December 2015 through June 2020.
“These types of incidents are heartbreaking,” CPSC Acting Chairman Robert 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.”
“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a Boppy spokesperson said in the same release. “Boppy is committed to doing everything possible to safeguard babies, including communicating the safe use of our products to parents and caregivers, and educating the public about the importance of following all warnings and instructions and the risks associated with unsafe sleep practices for infants. The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”
All versions of the Boppy Newborn Lounger are included in the recall, including the Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers. Approximately 3.3 million loungers were sold from January 2004 through September 2021 for between $30 and $44 at retailers nationwide, including Pottery Barn Kids, Target
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Walmart
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and Amazon
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Boppy also sold roughly 35,000 in Canada.
The CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using the recalled loungers and contact the company for a refund at 800-416-1355 or online at www.boppy.com and click “Recall & Safety Alert” for more information.
The recall comes nearly a year after the CPSC warned parents against using loungers and nursing pillows for sleep. “CPSC is warning parents and caregivers that pillow-like infant products, including nursing pillows and ‘lounging pads,’ are not designed for sleep and are not safe for sleep,” the commission said at the time.
Nearly 1,000 infants suffocate in their sleep each year, the CPSC said. And there are 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface covered only by a fitted sheet. Soft bedding — such as pillows, bumper pads, stuffed animals and blankets — should be kept out of the sleep area.
