Warning Against Sleep Positioners

Sleep positioners that are supposed to help babies sleep soundly and safely, may actually be dangerous to babies, officials have warned.

According to a joint statement issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), deaths and dangerous situations arising from use of infant sleep positioners is a serious concern.

sleep positionerParents and caregivers are advised not to buy these and if they are using them, to stop using them, in the interests of safer sleep for baby.

In the past 13 years there have been reports of 12 infant deaths having occurred from suffocation caused by these sleep positioners.

Sleep positioner products are touted to reduce gastroesophageal reflux, SIDS and flat head syndrome, but they can in fact cause suffocation and other harm to babies, the statement said. The warning has been issued, in lieu of a recall, which will take longer to put into practice.

Parents are advised not to get taken in by the marketing of these products, and their ‘hard sell’, while manufacturing companies are requested to be more careful about selling products that are potentially harmful. As of now, the possible modest benefit does not outweigh the risks associated with the product.

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