New parents need their babies to sleep to get chores done, rest, etc. There are many products designed to help such as bouncy chairs and swings, yet they are unnecessary clutter and dangerous! They fill up baby registries, but these potentially dangerous products aren’t just unneccessary, they can cause death.

At least 73 infant deaths have been linked to inclined baby sleep products according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission!

Take for example the Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. In April 2019, the company recalled almost 5 million inclined sleepers, yet how do you notify consumers of such a massive recall. What about second hand purchases? These products are often resold on Craigslist or Ebay.

The recall occurred voluntarily but was encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Consumer Reports explains:

The AAP has warned that inclined sleepers such as these do not align with safe sleep guidelines, which state that babies should be put to bed alone on their backs, on a firm, flat mattress, free from soft bedding. The Rock ’n Play Sleeper and others like it increase the risk of suffocation and strangulation.

Fisher-Price Recalls the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper After It Was Tied to Infant Deaths

Even though the Rock ‘N Play was recalled, there a still many dangerous inclined baby chairs, bouncers, and swings on the market, such as the Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker. These products pose a risk if a baby falls asleep in them because of the incline.

There is no such thing as a safe infant inclined sleeper, a product that typically positions an infant at an incline of up to 30 degrees and usually has design elements such as a rounded sleep surface and plush side padding. The AAP recommends that infants sleep on their backs, alone, unrestrained, on a firm, flat surface, free of padding, bumpers, and other soft bedding.

All Infant Inclined Sleep Products Should Be Recalled, Consumer Reports Says

The research behind this recommendation that parents do not use any product that props up their baby to sleep is based on pulse oxygen levels. A study conducted at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences involved only ten infants. The biggest concern is when the baby tries to move while asleep in a inclined position.

And when babies did roll onto their stomachs in the inclined sleepers, they exerted nearly 250 percent more abdominal muscle activity and their oxygen levels dropped twice as much, compared with their activity and oxygen levels when on their stomachs on a flat crib mattress. This suggests that when babies end up on their stomachs in an inclined sleeper, they can exhaust themselves, and ultimately suffocate, while trying to reposition their heads and bodies so that they can breathe, researchers said.

All Infant Inclined Sleep Products Should Be Recalled, Consumer Reports Says

Many of these baby products are not marketed as sleep products per se, but this is often how parents use them. Infants are put in a bouncy chair, for example, why parents complete household chores. They are only safe to use when under direct supervision and while the baby is awake, yet many parents do not know of this potential danger.

These products still exist in abundance in hospitals and day care centers, as well.

Babies are to sleep on flat surfaces only without bumpers, stuffed animals, blankets, etc. This is the only safe way.

Skip the baby essential that aren’t, save money and space, and keep your baby safe by avoiding inclined sleep products altogether!

Image by: nicolas michaud on Flickr  Some rights reserved