Recalled Boppy's Baby Pillow Linked to at Least 10 Infant Deaths

The newborn loungers continue to be sold on Facebook Marketplace and other online second-hand sites despite being recalled in September 2021

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

At least 10 infant deaths have been linked to the recalled Boppy’s Newborn Lounger.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Boppy Company — the makers of the product — are urging consumers not to purchase the pillow, which was pulled from the market in September 2021 after eight deaths were reported in connection to the product.

Two more infants have died since the recall, the CPSC said on Tuesday.

According to the organization, though the newborn loungers have not been legally for sale at retailers, they have continued to appear on Facebook Marketplace and other online second-hand sites.

"It is unlawful to offer for sale a CPSC recalled product on an online marketplace or to sell or donate a recalled product in any other manner," the CPSC said, noting they "have sent numerous requests to Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces to remove the recalled products."

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In 2021, 3.3 million Boppy’s Loungers were recalled under three different models — the Original Newborn Lounger, the Boppy Preferred Newborn Lounger, and the Pottery Barn Newborn Boppy Lounger.

The product includes “the risk that infants can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing, or roll off the lounger onto an external surface, such as an adult pillow," CPSC said at the time. Those who already owned the product at the time were informed they would get a refund.

Following the Sept. 2021 recall, one infant died in Oct. 2021, after being “placed on the lounger for sleep and then rolled underneath a nearby adult pillow," the CPSC said. The cause of death of the infant was “positional asphyxia.”

A month later, an infant was found dead, after being “placed on a Newborn Lounger in an adult bed with a parent and soft bedding.” The CPSC stated the cause of death was “undetermined,” following the incident.

The CPSC started investigating the link between infant deaths and the Boppy’s Lounger in 2020. The product had been on the market at the time since January 2004 and was sold on various websites, including Amazon and Pottery Barn Kids, for a price range of $30-44.

Following the latest report of the recalled product, it's been encouraged by the CPSC that “the best place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard."

The commission added: "Parents and caregivers should never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant's sleeping environment. Babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs."