3 million baby loungers sold by Pottery Barn and others recalled after 8 infants died
After eight infant deaths linked to baby loungers, Boppy recalled over 3.3 million Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers in the United States and Canada.
As stated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall alert: “Infants can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing, or roll off the lounger onto an external surface, such as an adult pillow or soft bedding that obstructs breathing.”
These deaths occurred from December 2015 to June 2020, the notice said.
Acting CPSC Chairman Robert Adler said: “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.”
In a rarity for a CPSC recall notice, there’s a comment from the company.
“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a spokesman for Boppy said. “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.”
The child product safety advocacy group Kids in Danger put out a statement that read, in part: “While the company may have warned about sleep, the intuitive use for a newborn lying on one is to let them continue to sleep on it. Supervision, even close supervision, while sleeping in an unsafe product is not enough.
“Positional asphyxiation can happen even as a baby appears to be sleeping.”
The loungers were sold at child furniture and baby stores as well as Pottery Barn, Walmart, Target and Amazon.com from January 2004 through this month.
If you have these loungers, contact The Boppy Company via its website or by calling 800-416-1355, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time.
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