Consumer Watchdog Agency Warns About DockATot Infant Loungers

For Immediate Release: November 9, 2022

Contact:
Nancy Cowles, KID, (312) 218-5593, nancy@kidsindanger.org
Rachel Weintraub, CFA, (202) 904-4953, rweintraub@consumerfed.org

Bethesda, MD – On Nov 9, 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) issued a warning about unsafe infant sleep products such as the DockATot Deluxe Plus Dock infant lounger. The DockATot lounger violates the CPSC’s new Infant Sleep Product (ISP) Rule which went into effect June 23, 2022.

The agency found that the company imported the infant sleep product that was manufactured after June 23, 2022, and therefore fails to comply with the mandatory requirements of the ISP Rule. KID and CFA believe that no infant lounger should be allowed for sale regardless of manufacture date and they should be removed from homes due to suffocation hazard. Consumers should not buy or use these products, and should immediately dispose of them rather than donating or reselling. Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. pointed to reports of deaths in DockATot’s product in SaferProducts.gov in his statement.

“Products that don’t meet the CPSC’s Infant Sleep Product Rule but encourage parents to use them as loungers or for naps should not be available,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. “The very dangers products like these pose are the reason for the Infant Sleep Product Rule. Parents shouldn’t be fooled by a change in nomenclature from sleeper to lounger.”

”The CPSC’s enforcement of the Infant Sleep Product Rule is incredibly important to protecting babies as they sleep,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with Consumer Federation of America. “Manufacturers must comply with the rule and those that do not should face, not only the legal consequences for non compliance, but also the responsibility of removing these products from the market.”

Babies sleep safest on their back, and on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets a federal standard, with only a fitted sheet. Other products such as crib bumper pads, pillows, blankets, or other products should not be in the sleep environment. View KID’s Safe Sleep PSA for more safety information.

KID and CFA call on DockATot and the CPSC to immediately recall the loungers to prevent child injuries, and for the CPSC to recall all hazardous infant loungers. Last year, Boppy recalled 3.3 million loungers due to suffocation risk after eight reported child deaths. The CPSC issued a warning against Leachco loungers earlier this year after two reported deaths.

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Founded in 1998, Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of non-profit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.