Infant Deaths Lead Feds to Sue Nap Nanny Maker
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A popular portable infant recliner is now at the center of controversy for the alleged danger it poses to infants. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has filed suit against Baby Matters, LLC, the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of Nap Nanny® and Nap Nanny Chill™ infant recliners, for allegedly failing to warn consumers of its products’ potential dangers and for failing to properly recall the products.
In 2010, reacting to one infant death linked to a Nap Nanny and 22 reports of infants hanging or falling over the side of the recliner despite being in the harness, the CPSC and Baby Matters issued a joint recall and offered an $80 coupon to Generation One owners toward the purchase of a newer model. At this time, according to the CPSC, the manufacturer also improved its instructions and warnings to consumers who owned Generation Two models.
The CPSC has now received more than 70 additional incident reports of infants nearly falling out of the recliners and is aware of four infant deaths in connection with the Nap Nanny Generation Two recliners, as well as a fifth death linked to the Chill model.
The CPSC’s most recent complaint alleges “that the Nap Nanny Generation One and Two, and Chill model infant recliners contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to infants." The CPSC also seeks an order requiring that the company notify the public of the defect and offer consumers a full refund.
Retailing for about $130, the Nap Nanny and Chill models have been sold in stores and online since 2009. They were manufactured in both the United States and China.
If you are aware of an infant who suffered an injury or death that may have been caused by the Nap Nanny or any other product, it is important that you notify the CPSC. Corporations and manufacturers must be held accountable for marketing and selling unsafe products. A crucial step in this accountability is reporting unsafe products to the CPSC.
This recent action by the CPSC is a reminder to us all of the many dangers that child products present and how challenging it can be for parents to keep their children safe. I wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season.