JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and The Boppy Company on Thursday announced the recall of more than 3 million Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers after eight reports of infant deaths.
According to the CPSC, the deaths occurred between December 2015 and June 2020, and the infants reportedly suffocated after being placed on their back, side or stomach on the lounger and were found on their side or on their stomach.
The recall involves all Boppy newborn loungers. The loungers were sold in a variety of colors and fashions and measure about 23 inches long by 22 inches wide and 7 inches high.
Boppy sold about 3.3 million of the recalled loungers at child product stores and mass merchandisers nationwide and online, including Pottery Barn Kids, Target, Walmart and online at Amazon.com. The loungers were sold from January 2004 through September 2021 for between $30 and $44.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled loungers and contact The Boppy Company for a refund. Contact The Boppy Company toll-free at 800-416-1355 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.boppy.com and click “Recall & Safety Alert” for more information.
Rachel Rabkin Peachman, with Consumer Reports, has been raising red flags about loungers like these for years.
“It’s a very tempting place for babies to fall asleep, so when parents see their baby fall asleep and seem cozy in this lounging item, they often leave their babies to sleep there, and this can be a deadly mistake,” Rabkin Peachmanm said.
When asked why the loungers were not recalled sooner, Rabkin Peachmanm said: “It’s a terrible tragedy that this product was not recalled earlier. One of the reasons that these things don’t come to light quickly is because there are product safety laws that actually prevent the government from releasing these fatalities or injuries of these products without getting permission from the companies themselves.”
In the recall announcement, Boppy said it’s “committed to doing everything possible to safeguard babies.” The company also said that “the lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be put to bed only in products that meet federal safety requirements for infant sleep, such as a bassinet, crib or play yard. The CPSC also reminds parents and caregivers that they 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.
Rabkin Peachman’s recommendation to parents: “To be really aware that there is no safe way to put your baby to sleep on a lounger.”