The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Podster Infant Loungers after two babies suffocated to death.
Podsters® are a popular type of baby pillow that includes the Podster Infant Lounger, Podster Plush, Bummzie and Podster Playtime.
The problem is that babies can suffocate if they roll, change position, or are put on the Podster in a way that makes it hard to breathe. Babies can also roll off and suffocate against the Podster or other objects.
The CPSC said it is aware of at least 2 infants who suffocated to death when they were put on a Podster and changed position so that their noses and mouths were blocked by the Podster or another object. The infants, 17-days old and 4-months old, died in January 2018 and December 2015.
In an unusual move, Leachco immediately responded on its website to explain why it was refusing to recall the Podster Infant Lounger.
Leachco said “The Podster® is not a sleep product,” and it has “clear warnings on the product and its packaging not to place it in a bed or crib or use it for unsupervised sleep.”
Leachco said the CPSC believes all infant loungers, including Podsters, are dangerous because parents and caregivers commonly ignore the warnings and use them for unsupervised sleep.
Approximately 180,000 Podster Infant Loungers have been sold nationwide since 2009 at major retailers like Walmart, Buy Buy Baby, Amazon, Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.
The CPSC safety warning for Podster Infant Loungers comes just 4 months after 3.3 million Boppy Newborn Loungers were recalled after being linked to the deaths of 8 infants who suffocated.
The CPSC also previously warned parents and caregivers that “pillow-like infant products, including nursing pillows and ‘lounging pads,’ are not designed for sleep and are not safe for sleep.”
Safety officials recommend that babies should always be placed to sleep on their back, and moved to a safe sleep environment if they fall asleep in an inclined or upright position. To follow safe sleep practices, only use a fitted sheet in the crib, and never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant’s sleeping space.