Photo: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of more than 3 million Boppy newborn baby loungers because they pose a safety risk to infants. The agency said it has received reports of eight deaths in which infants suffocated after falling asleep on the pillows.
The recall includes the Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers, and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers. They were sold at retail stores across the country, including Pottery Barn, Target, and Walmart. They were also sold online at Amazon.com.
“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.”
Consumers were advised to stop using the pillows immediately and reach out to The Boppy Company for a full refund.
“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a spokesperson 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.”