Two members of Congress are calling on the federal government to take action on pillow-shaped baby loungers after an NBC News investigation revealed that there have been far more product-related deaths than previously announced by officials.
in a letter sent to the Consumer Product Safety Committee on Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., described lounge chairs as “unnecessary products” that endangered the lives of consumers. you drink.
“A strict rule eliminating pillow-like loungers and other similar products that encourage parents to use them in the belief that these products are safe for infant sleep is essential,” Blumenthal and Schakowsky said in the letter.
At least 25 deaths have been linked to baby loungers since 2015, NBC News reported this year. In September 2021, the federal government remembered over 3 million baby loungers made by The Boppy Company, citing eight deaths of babies who had reportedly suffocated after being placed on the product.
But deaths have continued to occur in both the Boppy Newborn Lounger and those sold by other manufacturers, NBC News found. Newborns can suffocate on the cushioned surface of loungers or suffocate when their bodies get stuck in a position that restricts breathing.
Boppy and other manufacturers have said their loungers were never designed for sleeping and warned consumers not to leave babies unattended. But newborns can quickly fall asleep on cushioned surfaces like loungers, putting them at greater risk of suffocation and suffocation, medical experts said, and images of babies sleeping on them continue to proliferate on social media.
The CPSC is expected to move forward with the new safety standards for infant loungers in the coming weeks. These regulations could potentially range from mandatory warning labels to design standards that could effectively ban certain types of loungers, as required by the CPSC. But any new rule would go through a years-long process that includes public review and comment.
“I have been heartened by the strong commitment Senator Blumenthal and Representative Schakowsky have shown to our work to keep babies safe from dangerous products,” CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “We look forward to your continued support as we work to develop performance standards to make these products safer.”
Blumenthal and Schakowsky too praised the agency for suing Leachco after the manufacturer refused to cooperate with the recall of its baby lounger. The CPSC formerly reported two deaths linked to the Leachco product. A hearing is scheduled for the CPSC’s lawsuit against the company. programmed for August 7.
Leachco has stood up for the safety of its lounger when used as intended and filed a counterclaim against the federal agency. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last month, the CPSC warned the public against the use of another lounger that was sold exclusively on Amazon after the company, Gorsetle US, refused to cooperate with a recall. The product no longer appears to be sold on the online retailer’s website. Amazon declined to comment and Gorsetle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boppy declined to comment on the lawmakers’ letter to the CPSC, but referred NBC News to his previous review from Meta for not doing enough to prevent their retired loungers from being sold second hand on Facebook Marketplace.
In June, the CPSC and Boppy again announced the recall of the company’s loungers, citing the wide availability of the product on platforms like Facebook. The federal agency said two additional product-related deaths occurred after the initial recall was announced in 2021.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company previously said that Facebook Marketplace policies prohibit the sale of recalled items and that it removes listings that violate those policies.
