CPSC Sues Baby Matters to Stop the Sale of Nap Nanny/Chill Infant Recliners
Chicago, IL. (December 5, 2012) – Consumer advocates applaud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) action in issuing an Administrative Complaint against the manufacturer of Nap Nanny and Chill Infant Recliners, Baby Matters, LLC.
The CPSC says that they were unable to reach a corrective action plan with the company that would protect public safety and so took the unusual action of suing the company to seek an order requiring that the firm notify the public of the defect and offer consumers a full refund.
In 2010, the CPSC announced a recall of Nap Nanny Infant Recliners. At the time, the CPSC had knowledge of one death and 22 incidents of babies getting into unsafe positions in the product. The recall offered an $80 credit for owners of Generation 1 Nap Nannies and new warnings and instruction for Generation 2 models – even though the death was in a Generation 2 product. Similar to other previous efforts to add warnings, it apparently was ineffective – CPSC now knows of five deaths and more than 70 incidents.
“This is a product that falls outside of the scope of tough standards such as those recently developed for cribs and play yards,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. “Parents assume that if a product is sold, someone made sure it is safe, but as the history of this product shows, that isn’t the case. Trying to backtrack design changes after a baby dies is not the way to make a safe product.”
“A sleeping environment for a baby should not pose safety hazards and tragically, this product does.” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and Senior Counsel with Consumer Federation of America. “We applaud the CPSC for taking strong action to protect infants from the serious hazards posed by the Nap Nanny.
“We are glad to see the CPSC use the full extent of its authorities under the law to protect babies and children. Today’s action reminds manufacturers that they must make safety a top priority,” stated Ami Gadhia, Senior Policy Counsel with Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports.
Our groups urge consumers who have a nap nanny and are using for an infant to stop using it. The product is unsafe for this use. Babies sleep safest in cribs that meet current safety standards.
Contacts:
Nancy A. Cowles, Kids In Danger, 312-595-0649, nancy@kidsindanger.org
David Butler, Consumers Union, 202-462-6262, dbutler@consumer.org
Rachel Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America, 202-939-1012, rweintraub@consumerfed.org