The SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper by Sumr Brands poses a suffocation risk to infants, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). However, Sumr has refused the agency’s call to issue a recall. The agency would have to take the company to court in order to force its compliance.
This particular sleeper was discontinued in 2018. Unfortunately, the product is still available for sale, both at retailers and on the secondary market. A spokesperson for the brand told Consumer Reports that the company has received no reports of injuries and that the sleeper “has significant design differences from other inclined sleepers.”
Inclined infant sleepers are linked to suffocation deaths
The SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper is one of a category of products called inclined infant sleepers. These are rockers, chairs and other products that are designed as sleeping surfaces for babies. They are inclined between 10 and 30 degrees. These have been found to be unsafe because the child’s head can slump forward when sleeping at an incline. This can lead to suffocation.
An investigation by Consumer Reports discovered at least 73 deaths, along with over 1,000 incidents, some of which included serious injuries.
In October, the CPSC moved forward with a ban of all inclined infant sleepers. A study the agency commissioned found that they pose significant risks. Also, Congress is considering legislation to prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of dangerous infant sleep products, including inclined infant sleepers.
“The evidence is clear: Inclined products aren’t safe for infant sleep. Sumr Brands has a responsibility to make consumers whole and help parents and caregivers keep their babies safe,” said a spokesperson for Consumer Reports. “The best way to do that is to immediately issue a recall, not argue with the CPSC.”
Inclined infant sleepers by Fischer-Price, Kids II and Dorel have already been recalled. Retailers including Buy Buy Baby, Amazon, Walmart and eBay have pledged not to sell inclined infant sleepers, but consumers may still be using them.
There are still other inclined infant sleepers on the market, even though the CPSC continues to pressure companies to recall or discontinue them. Examples include:
- Evenflo Pillo Portable Napper
- Hiccapop DayDreamer
- Baby Delight Go With Me Sway Portable Infant Rocker
- Baby Delight Nestle Nook Comfort Plush Infant Napper
- Chicco Lullaby Dream Playard’s inclined napper insert
Do not buy an inclined infant sleeper. If you own one, no matter what brand, Consumer Reports urges you to stop using the product immediately, even if no recall is issued.
