KID commends retailers for removing dangerous infant sleep products from sale

This week, major retailers: Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Buy Buy Baby announced they would follow the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) call to remove infant inclined sleep products from sale.

Infant inclined sleep products include free standing inclined sleep products such as the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play and Kids II Rocking Sleeper that have been involved in dozens of deaths and were recalled this year, as well as products such as the previously recalled Nap Nanny, a low to the ground foam device that has led to six infant deaths, and infant hammocks, which are also associated with infant deaths and recalls. Many other infant inclined sleep products have remained on the market, despite these safety concerns.

KID released this statement today with Consumer Federation of America.

“Kids In Danger (KID) and Consumer Federation of America (CFA) call for a ban of inclined sleep products as they violate safe sleep principles. Over 70 babies have died in these products.  We applaud these retailers who acted to protect their consumers now rather than wait for the manufacturers who have been dragging their feet to recall what are known to be dangerous.

We urge consumers to stop using any infant sleep products that do not meet mandatory federal standards – this includes infant inclined sleep products, infant nests and in-bed sleepers. We call on manufacturers to stop selling these products and recall those that remain in consumers’ homes.”

“Retailers moving ahead of recalls to protect their customers speaks volumes about the danger of these products and the need for manufacturers to recall remaining products,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger.  “While stopping sales gets the products off store shelves, we need recalls to get them out of homes.”

“It is really important that the CPSC is actively working with retailers to remove inclined infant sleepers from their stores,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with Consumer Federation of America. “Manufacturers need to step up, take responsibility, and recall their products. Congress needs to pass the critical legislation to ban these products.”

The move also brought relief to parents whose children have died in these products.

“I’ve carried so much weight for 9 years,” said Kristine Thiel, parent of a child who died in an inclined sleep product.   “The gaping hole in my heart shrunk a little today.”