Boppy newborn lounger pillows recalled after 8 infant deaths

By Angeline Jane Bernabe

Over 3 million infant loungers made by Boppy, the popular maker of baby products, are being recalled after reports of eight infant deaths between 2015 and 2020, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Thursday.

Boppy is recalling its Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers, according to the CPSC.

The eight infant deaths reportedly happened after infants were placed on their back, side or stomach and fell asleep on the lounger, according to the CPSC.

The infants reportedly suffocated and were found on their side or their stomach, the agency said.

The CPSC urged people to "immediately stop" using the recalled loungers.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Boppy company recalls Over 3 million Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers after 8 infant deaths.

"These types of incidents are heartbreaking," Acting Chairman Robert S. Adler, CPSC commissioner, said in a statement. "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."

In response to the recall, Boppy said it is "devastated to hear of these tragedies."

“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 company said in a statement. "The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use.”

The recalled products were sold at retailers including Pottery Barn, Target, and Walmart and Amazon.com from January 2004 to today, according to the CPSC. The loungers retailed for between $30 and $44 and were "solid in a variety of colors and fashions."

Boppy also distributed about 35,000 of the recalled loungers in Canada, according to the CPSC.

Customers should contact The Boppy Company for a credit or refund, according to the CPSC.

The news of the recall follows a report from Consumer Reports earlier this month that found seven recent infant deaths were tied to nursing pillows and infant loungers made by Boppy,

It also comes one year after the CPSC issued a warning for caregivers about the risks of using pillow-like products for sleeping infants.

The 2020 warning from CPSC, which applied to all nursing pillows and baby loungers on the market, said infant deaths involving the products appeared to happen when "children are left on or near pillows, and the child rolls over, rolls off, or falls asleep."

The recall announced Thursday applies only to loungers made by Boppy, and does not include nursing pillows or all pillow-like products on the market.

Caregivers should always place infants to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface and should never add “blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant’s sleeping environment,” according to both the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).