Never buy these two dangerous baby items

Beware if you’re thinking about buying gently-used baby items at a garage sale or online in the secondary market. The recently-passed Safe Sleep for Babies Act bans the sale of all crib bumpers and inclined sleepers nationwide because they are dangerous and unsafe, explained Cape Cod Healthcare Pediatric Hospitalist Janelle Laudone, MD.

“Crib bumpers have been linked to many infant sleep-related deaths over the years, and deaths have also been reported when babies sleep on an incline—so inclined sleepers such as the Fisher-Price® Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers have also been removed from the market. Babies should never sleep on an incline,” she said.

Unfortunately, it remains easy for people to acquire unsafe items, thanks to the popularity of passing along used baby items as well as the pre-owned marketplace. Bumper pads are among the most common items families once purchased for babies, and still flood the aftermarket.

While pediatricians are informing new parents, well-meaning friends and family members shopping for baby gifts need to know about the dangers associated with these once commonplace nursery items.

Approximately 3,500 infants die from sleep-related infant deaths annually in the United States, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, and deaths from unknown causes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Dr. Laudone is a member of the AAP, which said, “Passage of the Safe Sleep for Babies Act represents a monumental victory for children's health and is a culmination of decades of pediatrician advocacy. By banning the sale of dangerous and unsafe crib bumpers and inclined sleepers nationwide, this AAP-championed legislation is a true game changer when it comes to protecting infants from products that have no place in a safe sleep environment.”

Why Crib Bumpers Are Risky

Dr. Laudone noted that parents traditionally bought newborn sheets, blankets and matching bumper pads to decorate the “perfect” nursery, but bumper pads increase the risk of sleep-related deaths in infants by suffocation or strangulation.

“Babies don’t have enough strength to extract themselves from dangerous situations, which can be caused by accidentally covering their faces with a bumper pad or blanket. Functionally, bumpers are not necessary, and safety-wise they are a problem.

“Avoid all bumpers because sleep-related deaths are a tragedy. People may be worried that bumpers are useful to prevent kids from bumping into the wooden crib slats, but that’s not the case. That’s not where we see injuries. You really don’t need bumpers.”

Why Inclined Sleepers Are Dangerous

Inclined sleepers are raised chairs or cribs where the baby is at an angle, so they are not laying completely flat.

“Babies can slide down if they are laying on an angle, their necks can go forward, and because they do not have strong necks, they sometimes can’t lift their heads well enough to open up their airways—so they can suffocate,” Dr. Laudone warned. “The new Safe Sleep for Babies Act bans any device for sleep that has more than a 10 percent incline. Babies should always sleep on a flat, firm surface on their backs, and they should sleep in their designated sleep space.”

She understands it’s overwhelming for parents because there are so many products in the marketplace. For example, earlier this year the U.S. Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price® alerted consumers to at least 13 reported deaths between 2009 and 2021 of infants in Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers. “Rockers should never be used for sleep, and infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the Rockers,” the alert said.

According to the CPSC and Fisher-Price, parents and caregivers should never use inclined products, such as rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings, for infant sleep and should not leave infants in these products unsupervised, unrestrained, or with bedding material, due to the risk of suffocation.

New Guidelines for Keeping Babies Safe

The AAP issued new guidelines this year, updating their 2018 safe sleep guidelines for infants. Dr. Laudone adds this tip:

“I always tell my patients that couches and armchairs are even more dangerous than beds for sleeping infants. Think of how couches and armchairs are built with deep spaces between cushions. A baby can slide down there and get stuck between the parent’s body and the arm of the furniture. It doesn’t take long for a tired parent to accidentally fall asleep, even for a few minutes, and end up in very tragic situation."

“I highlight to parents that if you are feeling tired, the safest thing to do is put your baby down in its designated sleep area and take some time for yourself. It is much better to take a break, even if your baby is crying and upset, than to hold the baby to the point where you’re exhausted, and you both might fall asleep in a place unsafe for the baby.”

To reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death, the AAP recommends:

• The baby should sleep on their back on a firm, flat, non-inclined surface.
• Sitting devices, such as car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, and infant slings, are not recommended for routine sleep, particularly for infants younger than four months.
• Breast-feeding reduces the risk of sleep-related infant deaths. Dr. Laudone added, “I understand breast-feeding is not possible for everyone, but breast-feeding is actually protective against sleep-related deaths or SIDS.”
• AAP recommends that parents sleep in the same room – but not in the same bed as a baby, preferably for at least the first six months.
• Avoid parent and infant exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids and illicit drugs. “New mothers who are healing from C-sections may be especially tired from pain medication,” Dr. Laudone cautioned.
• Make sure the baby receives routine immunizations.
• Pacifier use is associated with reducing risk.
• Avoid the use of commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS or other sleep-related deaths. There is no evidence that any of these devices reduce the risk of these deaths. Importantly, the use of products claiming to increase sleep safety may provide a false sense of security and complacency for caregivers. Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Supervised, awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate infant development and to minimize development of positional plagiocephaly, or a flat spot on the baby’s head.
• There is no evidence to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS. If infants are swaddled, always place them on the back. Weighted swaddles, weighted clothing or weighted objects on or near the baby are not safe and not recommended. When an infant exhibits signs of attempting to roll (which usually occurs at 3 to 4 months but may occur earlier), swaddling is no longer appropriate, as it could increase the risk of suffocation if the swaddled infant rolls to the prone position.