What's the Problem?
Chicco USA markets its Lullaby Playard as an all-in-one Folding Napper, Bassinet, Playard and Changing Station. However, the device is sold with a hammock-shaped insert called the "Newborn Lounger" that is being blamed for at least 1 death in a recent lawsuit.
Jayme Minnich of Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania, put his 3-month-old son Cayson down for a nap in the Newborn Lounger. When he returned 30 minutes later, he found the boy on his back and not breathing. He called 911 while his wife performed CPR. Cayson was rushed to the hospital by ambulance but it was too late for doctors to revive him.
“This incident shows us yet again that this class of products is unsafe,” said Nancy Cowles, director of the nonprofit Kids In Danger. “Even before there were deaths, we knew inclined sleepers went against safe sleep recommendations. And now that we know there are deaths, every product in this class needs to be taken off the market.”
In April 2019, Fisher-Price recalled nearly 5 million Rock 'n Play Sleepers after it was linked to at least 32 deaths. A month later, Kids II recalled about 694,000 inclined rocking sleepers after the device was blamed for 5 infant deaths. Then in June 2019, Fisher-Price issued another recall for 71,000 inclined sleepers that were sold as an accessory to the Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yard, which comes with a similar inclined sleeper accessory as the Lullaby Dream Playard.
In September 2021, Boppy Company recalled 3 million loungers after they received at least 8 reports of newborn deaths linked with the products.
Despite slight differences in the design of these products, all inclined sleepers position babies at an incline of 10 to 30 degrees, according to Consumer Reports [1]. These angles can cause an infant's head to fall forward, chin to chest, and compress the airway. Without sufficient head control or neck strength, a baby may not be able to lift its head up and breathe, increasing the risk of suffocation and death.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), National Institutes of Health (NIH) [2], and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [3] say that babies should be put to sleep unrestrained on a flat surface on their backs, without bumpers or other soft bedding. Consumer Reports has called on the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) [4] and manufacturers to recall all inclined sleep products, and for consumers to remove them from their homes.
Related Articles:
- 3-in-1 Rocker Napper Lawsuit
- Graco Little Lounger Rocking Seat Claim
- Nemschoff Hospital Bassinet Suit
- DaVinci Bassinet Recall Litigation
See all product liability claims from Schmidt and Clark, LLP.
Do I Have a Chicco Lullaby Playard Lawsuit?
The Product Liability Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Chicco Lullaby Playard Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
If your baby was harmed by an inclined sleeper, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.
