NEW YORK (WCBS Newsradio 880) — The Boppy Company is voluntarily recalling more than 3 million infant loungers after eight babies reportedly suffocated on the pillows, federal regulators announced Thursday.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall impacts all Boppy newborn loungers, including Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers, and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers.
About 3.3 million of the recalled loungers were sold between January 2004 and September 2021 at stores nationwide, including Pottery Barn Kids, Target, Walmart and Amazon, ranging between $30 and $44.
The loungers were sold in a variety of colors and fashions. They measure about 23 inches long by 22 inches wide and 7 inches high, the CPSC said.
Eight children suffocated after being placed on their back, side or stomach on the loungers, according to the CPSC. The deaths occurred between 2015 and 2020; in each case, the babies were reportedly found on their side or on their stomachs.
“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a Boppy spokesperson said, noting that “the lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”
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CPSC acting chairman Robert Adler called the deaths “heartbreaking.”
“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,” Adler added.
The CPSC said 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 agency said, adding that babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs.
The CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the recalled loungers and contact The Boppy Company for a refund. The company can be reached by phone toll-free at 800-416-1355 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or online by clicking “Recall & Safety Alert.”
