CR calls on all infant product manufacturers and sellers to support strong new safety rules
WASHINGTON — Consumer Reports applauded Sears and Kmart for banning infant inclined sleepers, which are not safe for infant sleep and conflict with expert safe sleep recommendations. The brands’ shared parent company recently confirmed this decision in a reply to letters CR sent several sellers, and wrote that the move came in response to CR’s ongoing investigation of infant sleep safety. This CR investigation has revealed numerous infant deaths and prompted the recall of more than five million Fisher-Price and Kids II inclined sleepers.
This praise came on the heels of new commitments by Pottery Barn Kids and the manufacturer Dorel Juvenile to prevent the sale of inclined products that are marketed for infant sleep. These companies join eBay, Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, and Walmart in taking action to ban these dangerous products, which are linked to at least 92 infant deaths and which a government-commissioned study has concluded are not safe for infant sleep.
“Consumer Reports commends the companies that are stepping up to help parents keep their babies safe,” said Oriene Shin, policy counsel for product safety at Consumer Reports. “They should continue leading the way through public support of new safety rules for all infant sleep products. Parents and caregivers shouldn’t be left guessing whether or not these sleepers meet strong, mandatory safety standards.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has proposed new rules for infant sleep products that would effectively prohibit inclined sleepers, but the rules have not yet been finalized. Consumer Reports, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other safety experts all support the proposal, while some manufacturers have pushed to weaken it. Separately, the U.S. House has passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act to ban infant inclined sleepers, and the bill currently awaits Senate action.
Consumer Reports continues to call on Facebook, Craigslist and the infant product manufacturers Baby Delight, Chicco, Hiccapop, and Nuna to immediately commit to removing all infant inclined sleepers from sale. CR has created an action page that consumers can use to contact the companies and urge them to put babies’ safety first.
Consumer Reports urges anyone with an inclined sleep product or accessory to immediately stop using it. American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations say that babies should be placed alone to bed on a firm, flat surface in their own space, with no extra bedding. All infant inclined sleep products and accessories conflict with that advice.
***
Contact: Maya Francis, maya.francis@consumer.org
Note: With the continued impact of COVID-19 on health and the economy, Consumer Reports is working to give consumers the latest information and CR advice related to the pandemic.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.