Consumer Federation of America and National Center for Health Research submitted comments to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in support of the proposed nursing pillow rule.  The CSPC’s proposed rule is informed by the data, as well as evidence-based sleep and breastfeeding policies. The proposed rule balances infant safety and the needs of breastfeeding caregivers. It ensures that nursing pillows are less likely to be used for uses other than active caregiver-led feeding. CFA and NCHR strongly support the CPSC’s proposed rule and urge the agency to act quickly.

CPSC identified 154 infant fatalities from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2022, involving infant pillows.   92% of those fatalities involved an infant sleeping in or on the nursing pillow. The fatality data is clear: many nursing pillows on which deaths occurred are conducive to uses other than caregiver-led feeding, such as infant sleep or propping an infant, because of how some of the nursing pillows are shaped with small openings and long side arms.  For this reason, CFA and NCHR urge the CPSC to consider an angularity performance requirement to ensure that there is no reasonable way on which to prop or lounge a baby on a nursing pillow.