Latest Baby Lounger Recalls And Warnings Reignite Safety Concerns
For nearly a decade, baby “loungers,” or infant pillows, have been at the center of a controversy over safety in the U.S., as a number of the most popular models like the Boppy Lounger were recalled due to concerns of suffocation, entrapment and fall hazard risks for the babies they hold. Just last month, on August 15, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers to stop using another batch of baby loungers sold online, “because they were advertised as sleep products but create an unsafe sleep environment, posing risks of suffocation, entrapment and falls for infants, and the manufacturer has not agreed to conduct a recall.”
In August 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned parents to “immediately stop … [+]
Baby Lounger Recalls Pile Up
The CPSC’s August warning, including loungers from Mamibaby, Yoocaa, DHZJM, Cosy Nation and Hyhuudth, followed reports that five babies had died. It followed another brand’s baby lounger recall in July 2024, a related CPSC lounger warning in June 2024 and yet another baby lounger recall in April 2024. The warnings and recall statements on these loungers list the agency’s concerns, ranging from sleeping pads that are too thick (and thus pose a suffocation risk), sides that are too low to contain the infant and the risk of entrapment or falling based on poor design. These safety recalls might leave parents wondering if any baby loungers are safe at all.
“The only safe place for baby to sleep is in a crib, play yard or bassinet (under 5 months) that hasn’t been recalled and meets current standards,” says Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger in Chicago. “But babies die every year in other products—some are sitting products like car seats, rockers, swings or bouncers. The inclined position can lead to positional asphyxia where the baby’s head falls, lessening their ability to pull in air or the baby can turn into an unsafe position.”
In 2023, the CPSC asked that baby loungers be redesigned, stating, “Some infant support cushions are marketed for use in a crib or other infant sleep product, notwithstanding warnings from the Commission and others, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), that soft objects, such as pillows and excess bedding, should not be placed in an infant’s sleep environment.” Within its request, the commission noted the many infant deaths and injuries over the years from these pillows: “CPSC staff identified at least 79 reported fatalities involving infant support cushions from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2022, as well as 125 nonfatal incidents or reports involving these products within the same time period.”
The Boppy Newborn Lounger was recalled in 2021 after reports of eight infant deaths due to … [+]
New Design Rules And Warnings Go Into Effect
Some loungers look like plush cushions with an indentation in the middle for the baby, such as the Boppy Newborn Lounger, recalled in 2021. There are also some types that more closely resemble a swinging bassinet lounger, such as the DNYSYSJ Cradle Swing, which the CPSC just warned consumers against using. Others are longer and flat in the middle, such as the once ubiquitous baby lounger DockATot, which also received a warning from the CPSC in 2022 telling parents not to allow their children to sleep in it and warning the manufacturer that its product does not comply with the Infant Sleep Product rule. This rule went into effect on June 23, 2022, and includes the following requirements:
- Comply with 16 CFR part 1218 for all products defined as “bassinet” or “cradle”
- All infant sleep products are required to be tested to confirm the seat back/sleep surface angle is 10 degrees or less from horizontal
- “Flat products such as the DockATot Deluxe+ Dock, must have a stand, meet stability requirements, and have a side height of 7.5 inches.”
Cowles says after the Infant Sleep Product rule was enacted, “Any other product cannot be sold for sleep unless it meets one of these standards,” but points out that the loungers are still available to purchase and can be misused by parents…. “So babies still fell asleep in them and some died.”
The CPSC has researched the safety of infant pillows, including infant loungers. Based on the results, the CPSC created numerous recommendations, such as firm nursing pillows that don’t seem to reasonably be a place to set babies down, and hospital-based education on the dangers of positioning and misuse of infant pillow products. A spokesperson for CPSC declined to comment further, but recommended the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) link for Infant Support Cushions, which includes baby loungers.
Nonetheless, Baby Loungers Remain For Sale
As Cowles mentioned, products like the DockATot Deluxe+ and other loungers are still being sold, just not as sleep products. Instead, DockATot now advises parents that its Dock is not for sleep and they should move baby to a crib or bassinet for sleep instead. DockATot’s founder says they are phasing out the Deluxe+ dock in the U.S. (it’s final sale only on its site), because of the new Infant Sleep Product rule. The brand also makes a Grand Dock version for older babies and toddlers. DockATot didn’t respond to a request for comment for this article.
DockATot’s founder says they are phasing out the Deluxe+ Dock after new federal regulations were … [+]
Parents can find plenty of other loungers for sale on Amazon and Walmart, including some that are openly marketed for sleep. And some do come with warnings and instructions on their use, like this one from Snuggle Me Organic Lounger:
“Don’t leave baby unsupervised.
Don’t use the lounger as a place for your baby to sleep.
Don’t use in a crib, bassinet or on a bed.
Don’t place on high, elevated or uneven surfaces.”
“Safe sleep for babies is the hardest safety education because it is counterintuitive— soft, snuggly, wrapped up, those are words that come to mind about babies sleeping,” says Cowles. “But safe sleep is summarized by the ABCs: Alone (nothing and no one else) with the baby on their Back, in a Crib, bassinet or play yard that meets the federal standard.”
Parents Wonder About The Alternatives
Beyond suffocation and fall risk, some parents have had other concerns with infant loungers. Lauren Finney Harden, mom of two, ages 3.5 and 9 weeks from the Atlanta area, shared that she used to use her lounger for baby naps on the living room coffee table, which she says she now knows is a “no-no.”
“I intended on using it to put the baby down while having coffee, fixing a meal, etc. I thought babies could sleep in them,” she says. But, her pediatrician warned her that babies who are in these products too much can develop “container syndrome,” leading to a host of issues such as flat head syndrome. “I didn’t expect to have severe postpartum anxiety with my first related to flat head syndrome…I became obsessed with her head shape and rarely put my first child down in it because I was worried it was contributing to a flat head,” Harden says. “It was contributing to a flat head and facial sliding due to her sleeping on her side in it.” She said they narrowly missed needing a helmet to correct the issue.
Some brands have introduced alternative products, such as the Peekaboo Pillow, a wedge-like pillow, meant for playtime.
“Unlike a floor longer where a baby lays independently without direct contact with a parent, our product is always used with an adult,” says Brock Shaw, founder of the Peekaboo Pillow. “With loungers, you lay the baby down and are present but may be doing other tasks. Ours requires you to be present with the baby and in the moment (the baby shouldn’t be left alone on it).”
Harden says that with her second baby, she rested easier using baby carriers and babywearing, rather than navigating the complicated world of baby loungers.
“There needs to be more education around baby containers and what the risks are for suffocation and what is and isn’t a container and how they can impact a baby,” she says.