Recalled infant loungers still being resold on social media; baby deaths reported
Published 10:25 pm Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Despite retail stores not selling a certain style of baby loungers since 2021, consumers are still reselling these items through online marketplace pages.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and The Boppy Company, of Golden, Colorado, are urging consumers to stop using the recalled Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers, and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers and to participate in the recall. The Newborn Loungers were recalled in September 2021 due to the risk that 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.
The Newborn Loungers have not been legal for sale since they were recalled, but since then, CPSC and Boppy have sent numerous requests to Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces to remove the recalled products that continue to appear for sale on their sites. It is unlawful to offer for sale a CPSC recalled product on an online marketplace or to sell or donate a recalled product in any other manner.
Shortly after the September 2021 recall, two additional infants died in Newborn Loungers that were part of an unsafe sleep environment. One death occurred in October 2021. In the incident, an infant was reportedly placed on the lounger for sleep and then rolled underneath a nearby adult pillow. The cause of death was positional asphyxia. In November 2021, an infant was placed on a Newborn Lounger in an adult bed with a parent and soft bedding and was later found deceased on the lounger. The cause of death was undetermined.
CPSC and Boppy urge consumers to stop using the recalled Newborn Loungers and participate in the recall. Consumers can contact The Boppy Company for instructions on how to dispose of the product and get a refund. Contact The Boppy Company at 800-416-1355 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.boppy.com and click “Product Recalls” for more information.
CPSC continues to emphasize that the best place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard. Parents and caregivers should never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant’s sleeping environment. Babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs.