- All infant support cushions manufactured after May 5, 2025, must meet new federal standard enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Consumer Reports investigation has underscored risks, linked loungers to infant deaths
- CR offers tips for caregivers, warns of threat to independent, bipartisan CPSC
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new mandatory safety standard for infant support cushions—including baby loungers and similar products—is now in effect. Infant support cushions manufactured after May 5, 2025, must meet new federal safety requirements to reduce the risk of suffocation, entrapment, and falls. Consumer Reports (CR) today celebrated the new rules and called for them to be enforced vigorously by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Gabe Knight, senior safety policy analyst for Consumer Reports, said, “These rules will help keep babies safe and give parents peace of mind at a time when their little ones are most vulnerable. To help caregivers, companies should immediately make clear which products of theirs meet the new federal safety standard, and which products are older and do not.”
Between 2010 and 2022, the CPSC is aware of at least 79 infant deaths and 124 injuries linked to infant support cushions, most involving babies under three months old. The bulk of these tragedies occurred when the products were misused for sleep, outside of their intended purpose. The new safety standard aims to reduce this foreseeable misuse.
Knight added, “Baby loungers are not safe for infant sleep, but if a parent does mistakenly allow their baby to sleep in one, that shouldn’t come with a risk of serious injury or death. This safety standard is a helpful backstop for sleep-deprived parents and caregivers of young infants. It should be enforced vigorously by the CPSC, and the agency should have both the resources and the independence it needs to be a strong safety watchdog for the public.”
CR has denounced a draft plan by the White House to eliminate the independent, bipartisan CPSC and shift its duties to the Department of Health and Human Services, calling the idea a “dangerously misguided proposal” that “would take critical data-driven safety rules that protect babies, children, and adults nationwide, and immediately expose them to political whims.”
CR has long advocated for stronger safeguards for baby loungers, working alongside parent advocates and safety experts to push for this standard. In October 2020, a Consumer Reports investigation identified 28 infant deaths from 2012 to 2018 tied to nursing pillows and baby loungers. In September 2021, CR published a story about public government data linking several infant deaths to Boppy products; later that month, Boppy recalled 3.3 million of its infant loungers. In 2023, CR warned consumers about serious hazards linked to baby loungers, and CR later submitted joint comments to the CPSC in support of the agency’s proposed rule.
The new rule establishes performance standards for infant support cushions to reduce the risk of injury from suffocation, entrapment, and falls, and includes tests for firmness and the geometry of the products. Some baby loungers have had soft sides that might appear to parents to provide comfortable protection for an infant, but which actually could increase the risk of suffocation. The regulation also prohibits infant restraints, which could give caretakers the false impression that infants can be left unattended safely while using the product, and mandates clear and strongly worded on-product warning labels.
Tips for Parents and Caregivers: Choosing an Infant Support Cushion
- Check the manufacturing date. Only infant support cushions made after May 5, 2025, are required to meet the new safety standard. Older, non-compliant products will still be for sale, so parents and caregivers should use caution when shopping.
- Look for firm, flat surfaces. Avoid cushions with deep contours or overly soft padding, which can increase suffocation risk.
- Avoid loungers and support cushions marketed for sleep. Infant support cushions should never be used for sleep, even if the packaging suggests otherwise. Support cushions should have upright sidewalls and no restraints.
- Use only when baby is awake and supervised. These products are meant for brief, awake time under close watch.
The CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advise that babies should always sleep on a firm, flat surface in their own space—such as a crib, bassinet, or play yard—with no soft items or toys in the sleeping space. Infant support cushions are not intended for sleep, and misuse can lead to suffocation and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). CR joins pediatricians in emphasizing that only products designed and approved for infant sleep should be used for that purpose.
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Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org