When you purchase an item for your child, whether it is a crib, a dresser, a baby seat, you want to be confident that the thing is not going to cause your child any harm. When it comes to baby items, even a small fault or manufacturing defect can cause catastrophic damage. It is a parent’s worst nightmare to find their child injured by a product that they purchased for them. In 2019 four companies recalled over 165,000 ‘inclined infant sleepers’ that pose suffocation risks to infants.
Investigation presents troubling reports
According to a 2019 report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), infants are at risk of suffocation in any product that is inclined more than 10 degrees. This finding shows that any sleeping product that is not flat produces a risk of injury for babies. The investigation revealed that between 2005 and 2019, 1000 incidents resulted from babies sleeping on inclined surfaces, and 73 resulted in death. Previously, the CPSC only listed certain brands as dangerous, but the recommendation has expanded to all inclined surfaces.
Understanding the threat to babies
Here are three ways that inclined sleepers present physical hazards to sleeping infants:
- Product alignment: The angle of the product makes it easier for infants to turn over into dangerous orientations.
- Airway compression: If a baby turns onto its stomach, there is an increased risk of suffocation. Other babies suffocated from their heads tilting during sleep, due to the angle of their recline.
- Correction difficulty: Though parents place babies on their backs in these kinds of sleepers, the shapes of such devices makes it more likely for a baby to become wedged in a compromising position. These positions are difficult or impossible to correct for young infants.
Finding just compensation for affected families
There is no worse outcome for a parent than to have their infant child become injured. In cases like this, you can’t protect your family on your own. If your child suffered an injury from a defective or dangerous product, you need a personal injury attorney to help get them the compensation they deserve.
