How did pediatricians respond to the recalls?
Pediatricians have long been critics of inclined sleepers, warning parents and the public about the suffocation risks of the product. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a strongly worded rebuke to the initial April 2019 CPSC alert, cautioning that it did not go far enough and urging the agency to begin an immediate recall of the product based on the Consumer Reports study and the AAP’s advice on sleep positioning.
An AAP release stated: “This product is deadly and should be recalled immediately,” said Kyle Yasuda, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“When parents purchase a product for their baby or child, many assume that if it’s being sold in a store, it must be safe to use. Tragically, that is not the case. There is convincing evidence that inclined sleepers put infants’ lives at risk, and CPSC must step up and take immediate action to remove it from stores and prevent further tragedies.
“The AAP does not recommend inclined sleepers or any products for sleep that require restraining a baby. The AAP advises against using car seats, strollers or other devices for sleep because of the risk that a baby could roll or turn into an unsafe position and be incapable of moving, leading to suffocation or strangulation.”