Recalled Boppy Baby Lounger Now Linked To At Least 10 Infant Deaths

A popular baby pillow that was recalled in 2021 has now been linked to at least 10 infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Tuesday. 

Boppy's Newborn Lounger was taken off the market almost two years ago after eight deaths were reported in connection with its use. Two more deaths were reported after the recall, according to the CPSC, which said in its latest announcement 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 company and the commission are urging consumers to stop using the product and asking online marketplaces, like Facebook, to crack down on any attempts to sell the pillows secondhand on their websites.

When the original notice was issued in September 2021, Bobby recalled 3.3 million loungers, which at the time were sold as three different models. All three of them — the Original Newborn Lounger, the Boppy Preferred Newborn Lounger and the Pottery Barn Newborn Boppy Lounger — were included in the recall. The company urged parents and caregivers to stop using the loungers immediately and told them to contact the company to receive a refund.

But at least two other infant deaths occurred in Newborn Loungers in the months that followed the product-wide recall, the CPSC said. One of the reported incidents happened that October, when an infant reportedly rolled underneath a nearby adult pillow after being put to sleep on the lounger, and died of positional asphyxia, according to the commission. A month later, in November, another infant was found dead on a Newborn Lounger "in an adult bed with a parent and soft bedding." In that instance, the cause of death was undetermined, the CPSC said.

Selling any of Boppy's infant loungers became illegal after the recall. Despite that, the CPSC said the loungers continue to appear on re-sale sites like Facebook Marketplace, even though the commission and the Boppy Company have sent "numerous requests" to Facebook, and other online marketplaces, urging them to regulate users' attempts to sell the product. 

"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," the CPSC said.

Boppy loungers were sold by a number of distributors from their introduction to the market in January 2004 until the 2021 recall. Priced at $30 to $44, people could purchase the infant pillows during that period from large retailers like Amazon, Pottery Barn Kids, Target and Walmart, and they were available across the United States as well as in Canada. 

The CPSC, which in 2020 began investigating a potential link between the Boppy loungers and reported infant deaths, reiterated in its announcement this week 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," the commission said. "Babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs."

First published on June 6, 2023 / 12:46 PM

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