Nap Nanny infant recliner recalled after baby dies
Filed under: Recalls, Consumer Ally
Nap Nanny baby recliners -- hailed by parents nationwide as a salvation from sleepless nights for infants with reflux, colic and other issues -- are being recalled after a 4-month-old Michigan girl was found dead in one this month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.Baby Matters, which makes Nap Nanny, said 30,000 of the recliners are subject to the recall. The recalled recliners -- made in China and the U.S. -- were sold nationwide for about $130.
The CPSC said the girl who died was in the harness on the recliner but was found hanging over the side, stuck between a crib bumper and the Nap Nanny. Another infant also fell over the side of a Nap Nanny, despite being buckled in, and also got trapped between the recliner and crib, but only suffered a cut forehead. The CPSC said 21 other incidents involving the product were reported to the company by consumers, mostly with infants younger than five months falling over the side.
Some of the incidents, including the death, involved parents using the product in cribs, something the manufacturer makes clear is not an acceptable use. The product is recommended to be used only on the floor. The company put out a video on Sunday evening with new safety warnings. The video says Nap Nanny should not be used for overnight sleep for any child that can sit up.
The main problem with the recliners is the ability of the infants to dislodge even though they are harnessed. If Velcro straps that hold down the cover are not put on correctly, the risk is greater. The earlier model of Nap Nanny did not have rings now found on the recliners to position the straps.
The CPSC urged parents and caregivers to heed the company's directive to keep the Nap Nanny on the floor -- and away from other things. Never use the Nap Nanny on an elevated surface, the CPSC said, because of the risk of the infant falling over the side.
Anyone with a Nap Nanny is asked to stop using it immediately.
Those with the earlier models that didn't have the plastic rings should contact the company to get an $80 credit on the purchase of a new Nap Nanny with shipping charges waived.Those with the later models with the rings are urged to watch the new product warning video and get new instructions from the company's website to ensure the harnesses are properly fastened before using the Nap Nanny again. Copies of the instructions can also be mailed upon request.
Baby Matters can be reached at (888) 240-4282 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The company was expected to host a recall site.
Baby Matters founder Leslie Gudel sent the following statement to Consumer Ally about the recall.
"As a mothers ourselves, we were deeply saddened to learn of an infant death in a crib associated with the use of the Nap Nanny. Safe sleep is of the utmost importance, and we have worked closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to implement this voluntary recall to help ensure that the Nap Nanny is used properly, and only on the floor.
"To prevent future tragedies, we urge parents and caregivers to follow the CPSC safety guidelines to put nothing in the crib other than a sheet. For specifics about the recall, consumers should to go to www.napnannyrecall.com. This is where our new instructional video can be found, and we urge all Nap Nanny users to watch. The video demonstrates how to secure the baby in a Nap Nanny properly and the dangers of improper use."
The safety of children's products has gotten heightened attention of late with a spate of crib recalls and improvements to how parents will be notified about dangerous nursery products.
Getty Images
- ROAD TRIP? The Safest Driving Cities in U.S. - Huffington Post
- OUCH: Family Insurance Costs Skyrocket - CNNMoney
- NICE TRY: Tough Slogging for iPad Knockoffs - FORTUNE
- LIKE IT: Labor Day Drivers to Get Break at Pump - MarketWatch
- TEN WAYS: How to Cut Unemployment in Half - 24/7 Wall St.
- NEW LOWS: Auto Sector Barely Breathing After Clunkers - FOX Business
- NEED WORK? How to Find a Job in Retirement - SmartMoney
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
7-26-2010 @ 8:35AM
Louis said...
Will we ever stop buying all this cheap crap from China that is killing and poisoning our children and pets and destroying our industrial and economic growth as well?
An American life is no more significant to the Chinese than a dust bunny under your sofa.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 11:26AM
Jennifer said...
it doesnt matter where it comes from if an ignorant person uses it and doesnt follow directions that is when children get hurt. Especially in this situation with the nap nanny. These people put it in their cribs. When right on the product it states to ONLY BE USED ON THE FLOOR and NOT FOR NIGHT TIME SLEEP USE... so ignorance is what I chalk this up to
7-26-2010 @ 8:53AM
Michael said...
Parents, let's get back to using common sense and using American made products, and take responsability in using
a plain old crib, the old fashioned way! Also face the fact, sometimes baby will cry.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 8:56AM
leah said...
Oh mah GAH...nap "~NANNY~" yet another ~thing~ invented so that the parent can check out from actual ~parenting~ time! Hello, I'm sorry, but perhaps if ones baby is sleepless (due to reflux, colic, or anything else!!) then what is required and ~needed~ by THE HELPLESS BABY should take precedence over the adults wanting more down-time for themselves. What crying babies ~need~ is to be held and cuddled by a soothing, loving, caring PARENT...not confinement in a pricey cloth covered piece of foam with tethers. If one is unwilling to forsake ones own rest from time to time, then perhaps one should consider a fish tank instead of children, because they ~will~ cause you sleepless nights...even into their own adulthood.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 7:33PM
american said...
My thoughts exactly!
7-26-2010 @ 9:15AM
mary said...
my condolances to the folks who have lost their babies from these freak accidents. i too, have reservations when buying china made products for babies or infants.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:22AM
Jerome Crosson said...
According to the story, the accidents and/or the fatality were caused by not following instructions. Same thing happens with car seats - not installed correctly, straps not secured properly.
So - in our world of inept parents - recall the recliner ! Blame the manufacturer ! Get Congree to investigate ! There is no remedy for dumb parents !
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:29AM
aerofanz said...
It is truly sad that this baby had to die, but it sure sounds like Leah hit the nail on the head. In my day parents actually had to hold the baby and walk around until the baby stopped crying. Sometimes for hours. And don't get me started on our use of crap from China. Except for take-out.......we should be make, buying, and using American products.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:43AM
Tracie Smith said...
My husband and I have been married for 29 years. We have four children(26, 23, 21, 18). When our first baby was born(girl), she had colic...she cried for hours. My husband and I took turns walking the floor with her, rubbing her stomach, finally we called his mom. Her remedy was to crush a piece of peppermint candy and melt it into a couple of tablespoons of warm water. After she drank that, my husband put her in the car and drove around the block. When he came back, she was out like a light.
REAL parents don't have to rely on gadgets to take care of their child. JUST HOLD YOUR BABY!!!!
People are so detached from reality, that they don't even want to parent their own kids. All I can say is...DON'T HAVE KIDS if you're NOT going to be mommy and daddy. Babies need physical contact from parents to make them feel secure and safe. GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!
I firmly believe China is trying to kill us. The evidence is everywhere.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:56AM
Allison said...
You are trying to convince people to hold their baby but the story you use is that you got yours to sleep with a car seat?
Ironic, no?
Were you trying to get out of parenting by using that car seat? No, I'm sure you were just trying to help your baby get some sleep.
7-26-2010 @ 10:22AM
lively said...
Oh for gosh sakes, allison...you apparently DID NOT READ the part about walking the floor for hours with a colicky baby, and using a good old fashioned peppermint/water mixture (just like I was taught, 16 years ago) BEFORE getting her calm enough to put her in the car for a QUICK trip around the block.
Please, Please, Please! If you don't have the common sense it takes to raise a goldfish, DO NOT REPRODUCE! Tracie's comment was absolutely dead-on! Parents today are too narcissistic (or lazy, take your choice) to actually physically parent their kids. They consider them "trophys" or a symbol of accomplishment, but do not want to spend the time necessary to hold, nurture and RAISE their kids.
7-26-2010 @ 11:28AM
Karen said...
Thank you, Tracie. I couldn't agree more. Too many parents are more self-absorbed than they are nurturing for their child. I saw a young woman pushing a toddler in a stroller the other day. It was a beautiful day and the young mother COULD have been engaging her child in a conversation,pointing out things,teaching her things,but NO, she was blabbing on her cellphone,as if she was pushing a bag of groceries or some other inanimate object. What a shame.
7-26-2010 @ 2:02PM
Julai said...
I so agree with you. As I recall, my babies were 2 before I slept thru the night. Even if they did not wake up, I did and i checked on them a couple times a night. The cribs were in my room as well until they were about 9 months and even then the door to their room was not closed when they were in bed. Now at 70+I am once again getting up two ot three times a night.
Parenting is a 24/7 job. If someoen is not prepared to do that they should not have kids. I have also thought about the miles that I rocked away in my rocking chairs with babies in my arms. I have one child in her 20's, 2 in late 30's and one in her 50's. All are well adjusted and doing well in their lives and so are the grandkids.
7-26-2010 @ 9:44AM
Allison said...
I'm guessing none of you had a baby with reflux.
Due to reflux, my son slept in a swing until he was 6 months old. When I first saw these I thought they were the greatest invention ever. If I had another baby, I would have bought one in a heart beat.
Parents simply need to read directions carefully. If the product says not to use it in a crib, don't!
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 10:49AM
Ang said...
Allison,
My daughter had acid reflux as a baby. She too, slept in her swing. I fully understand what you are saying.
And to all you nay sayers... Every parent finds what works for them. I would rather use a swing (or gadget) to help soothe my baby, then have her scream uncontrollably because she's uncomfortable. Her pediatrician told me the swing was perfectly safe, so I continued to use it until she grew out of the acid reflux. She is now a happy and healthy four year old.
There are reasons we have new "gadgets" all the time. It's to make our lives as parents a little less stressful. While many of you say "back in the day" you walked the floor, that's fine. My grandmother fed my mother PET milk. That doesn't sound very nutritious to me, but it worked "back in the day." Every generation of parenting has its own thing. Please don't insult someone else's way of parenting just because it's not what you did.
7-26-2010 @ 12:12PM
colleen said...
I think this broad judgment is unfair to these parents. You see this contraption as a way for parents to shun their responsibility to their child but if their children have acid reflux, then maybe they are truly tyring to find relief for their baby and offer their baby a chance to sleep.
I wouldn't lump all the parents together. I think that the ones who didn't use the item as specified hold responsibility for their actions but it isn't fair to condemn all parents that try different strategies to help their child. Holding their crying baby all night does little to help the child sleep. It does give comfort but that child is still not getting the sleep needed.
7-26-2010 @ 9:44AM
xueyipianyip said...
Sometimes for hours. And don't get me started on our use of crap from China. Except for take-out.......we should be make, buying, and using American products.My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at agelessma te .c o m a nice and free place for younger women and older men, or older women and younger men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or tell your friends.
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:45AM
Twinks_4winks said...
If you go the website, it CLEARLY says NOT to use in crib! For use on FLOOR! I agree with everyone else, b/c of parents NOT following directions the US recalls everything and blames the manufactor. It is horrible that this poor baby passed away due to this and my heart goes out to the parents, espically since I have 3 kids of my own and another one the way but if proper instructions were not followed, then we can't blame the company for this!
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 9:50AM
Allison said...
Wow, I can't believe the suggestion that someone who would use a sleep positioner is not parenting their kids. Do you honestly think someone who uses this is not going to have to get up at night, or hold a colicky baby? It simply helps a reflux baby sleep more comfortably. My reflux baby did not WANT to sleep in my arms. A swing allowed him to sleep without AS MUCH or a sore stomach problem, but he still woke up multiple times a night to be held and soothed.
Ridiculous that you think a sleep positioner is replacing parenting. It isn't that much of a miracle worker!
Reply
7-26-2010 @ 12:17PM
colleen said...
It is sort of like saying:
"all you parents who used a soft mattress to get your child to sleep are just lazy non parents! You should have held the baby all night so it wouldn't be uncomfortable!"
I mean really?