Boppy’s newborn lounger linked to at least 10 infant deaths—2 years after recall

Two more infants have died since the Boppy Newborn Lounger was recalled two years ago, bringing the total number of known infant deaths linked to the baby pillow to 10. In 2021, Boppy officially recalled over 3 million newborn loungers after the products were recently tied to a string of 8 infant deaths.

An investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission at the time urged parents to stop using the products immediately after the infant deaths were linked to the use of the loungers and nursing pillows for sleep. Two more infants have died since the recall, the CPSC said on Tuesday.

According to the organization, though the newborn loungers have not been legally for sale at retailers, they have continued to appear on Facebook Marketplace and other online second-hand sites.

“It is unlawful to offer for sale a CPSC recalled product on an online marketplace or to sell or donate a recalled product in any other manner,” the CPSC said, noting they “have sent numerous requests to Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces to remove the recalled products.”

All three models of the Boppy Newborn Lounger are part of` the recall: the Boppy Original Newborn Lounger, the Boppy Preferred Newborn Lounger, and the Pottery Barn Kids Newborn Boppy Lounger.

The CPSC has even pleaded with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an attempt to prevent these pillows from being sold.

“We call on you to identify recalled and violative products and to prevent their listing by your users,” the commissioners wrote in a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta. “By allowing such products to be posted, you are putting Facebook Marketplace users at risk.”

“In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The Boppy Company is conducting a voluntary recall of its Newborn Lounger to address a risk of infant suffocation,” the company wrote in a statement on its website back in 2021. “Infants can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing, or roll off the lounger onto an external surface, such as an adult pillow or soft bedding, that obstructs breathing.”

The reported deaths associated with the Boppy Newborn Lounger occurred due to suffocation during sleep, with each death occurring between December 2015-November 2021.

In October of 2020, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned caregivers about letting their infants sleep on lounging pillows and nursing pillows. The federal agency is responsible for overseeing thousands of home goods, and they declared these pillows unsafe for infant sleep.

The Boppy nursing pillow and newborn lounger have been incredibly popular and usually added as baby registry staples. They are supposed to help support a breastfeeding mama and make nursing her little one easier. The lounger is great for propping babies up while they’re awake, so you can coo at them from a cushion instead of the floor. And while these items are great, amazing even, for those (supervised) uses, they can present a grave danger to a sleeping infant.

Seven recent infant deaths have been tied to nursing pillows and infant loungers made by Boppy, a maker of baby products, according to a new analysis from Consumer Reports. https://t.co/ukWQ25Cpv0

— Nightline (@Nightline) September 3, 2021

When babies are left unattended or sleeping on these pillows, they can roll over or their heads can fall in a way that blocks their airway—which leads to suffocation. Last fall, the CPSC linked 28 infant deaths from 2012 to 2018 to these pillows made by a variety of companies, including Boppy.

Consumer Reports found that seven additional deaths occurred since the CPSC warning in 2020, due to unsafe sleep practices with nursing pillows and loungers made by Boppy.

The data, listed in the saferproducts.gov database, found that most of the fatalities happened after parents put their babies to sleep while they were propped up by the pillow or lounger. The babies rolled over into the soft, cushy fabric and were unable to breathe.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended babies be put to sleep alone, in their own space, while flat on their backs and lying on a firm surface. No crib bumpers, no blankets, no stuffed animals, and no pillows—at least not until a baby reaches toddlerhood, and are able to move things away from their airway if necessary.

“We are devastated to hear of these tragedies,” a Boppy spokesperson told Consumer Reports. “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.”

The Boppy recall refund—how to get one

The voluntary recall pertains to ALL models and colors of the Newborn Lounger, the Preferred Newborn Lounger, and the Pottery Barn Lounger. An example of each model is depicted below. These recalled loungers were sold in a variety of colors and fashions.

To obtain a refund:

1. Share the UPC or Item Number and Date Code on your Lounger.
   1. The UPC or Item Number can be found on the front of the Care Label toward the bottom.
   2. The Date Code is stamped on the back of the second label and is formatted XX-XXX.
2. Provide a copy of your receipt if you have one, via email, text, or mail. This will help up determine the value of your refund.
3. Provide a photograph via email, text, or mail that shows the destruction of the Lounger by cutting it in half to make it unusable.

If you’ve purchased a Boppy Newborn Lounger recently, you can apply for a refund here.

An earlier version of this story focused on the Consumer Reports story and was published on September 10, 2021. It has been updated to reflect the current news of the recall.

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