The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and The Boppy Company, of Golden, Colorado, today announced a recall of about 3.3 million(35,000 in Canada) Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers, and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers after eight reports of infant deaths associated with popular loungers. 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 infant deaths occurred between December 2015 and June 2020.
“These types of incidents are heartbreaking,” said Acting Chairman Robert S. Adler. “Loungers and pillow-like products are not safe for infant sleep, due to the risk of suffocation. 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.”
“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a spokesperson for Boppy commented. “Boppy is committed to doing everything possible to safeguard babies, including communicating the safe use of our products to parents and caregivers and educating the public about the importance of following all warnings and instructions and the risks associated with unsafe sleep practices for infants. The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”
This 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 the recalled loungers at juvenile product stores and mass merchandisers nationwide and online, including Pottery Barn Kids, Target, and 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.
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.
