Every year, there are 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths
A new bill in Congress would ban weighted sleep products for babies following warnings that the sleepwear is killing infants.
Weighted sleep products, including blankets, swaddles and sleep sacks, are similar to mini sleeping bags, but their added weight can calm babies and lull them to sleep faster. The added weight can range from a few ounces to 1.5 pounds. Many parents swear by them.
But3,500 sleep-related infant deaths happen every year in the U.S. that weighted sleep sleepwear iscontributing to, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in 2022.
The AAP says the products can increase the risk of suffocation, make it difficult for babies to wake up and pressure their underdeveloped rib cages that could affect breathing and heart rate. There is also not enough research that weighted sleep products are safe, especially when babies are left alone, the AAP says.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also warned parents that weighted sleep products are dangerous.
Amazon, Babylist, Target, Nordstrom and Walmart have already stopped selling weighted sleep products.
Now, Democrats Senator Richard Blumenthal and representativesTony Crdenas and Kim Schrier have introduced the Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Acton Monday that would ban thebaby sleepwear.
Experts agree that weighted sleep sacks and swaddles are downright dangerousrestricting babies movements and putting pressure on their chests that potentially impact their breathing, Blumenthal said in a statement. "The stakes are simply too high to allow weighted infant sleep sacks and swaddles to stay on the market without evidence that they are safe.
The two big companies
Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean are the two biggest manufacturers of weighted sleep products. Dreamland Baby's founder was inspired when she found that a heavy throw blanket quickly calmed her son, while Nested Bean's founder says she could help her son stay asleep by placing her hand on his chest.
In April, Senator Blumenthal wrote a letter tothe Federal Trade Commission calling on the agency to investigate alleged deceptive advertising practices of Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean, saying the companies were making broad, unproven claims about that the safety of their infant sleepwear.
"The tests and standards the companies tout refer to garment construction, fabric quality, and chemical detection standards, not to weighted sleep product safety," he said.
Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Exhausted parents shouldnt have to become part-time product safety regulators, but our current system forces them to by allowing infant products onto the market without evidence they are safe, American Academy of Pediatrics President Benjamin D. Hoffman said in a statement.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-08-07 21:07:32
