Lifesaving change to keep babies safe while sleeping

SAN ANTONIO – There’s a lifesaving change coming to some baby products that all parents need to know about. It involves products that babies sometimes sleep in. Consumer Reports explains more about the new guidelines and how parents can make sure their babies are safely sleeping.

Children’s products manufacturers Fisher-Price and Kids2 joined the Consumer Product Safety Commission to warn parents not to use their infant rockers for sleep. The Fisher-Price’s Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers are tied to at least 13 deaths. The Kids2 Bright Starts Rocker is tied to at least one death.

While companies say these rockers are not intended for sleep, parents and caregivers sometimes use them for that purpose. And the same goes for other infant seats and swings.

Consumer Reports explains that, similar to the inclined sleepers that Congress recently banned, it is the reclined positioning of the infant that makes these products so dangerous for any period of sleep.

Products that position an infant in a reclined sleeping position cause the infant’s head to tilt forward and compress the airway, increasing the risk of suffocation.

That’s what the new government regulation is meant to address. All infant sleep products manufactured must now meet minimum safety requirements that align with guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics: Babies should sleep alone and on a flat surface.

But Consumer Reports says it is okay to let your baby sleep for short stretches in a car seat while you are driving, as long as the seat is used properly.

Car seat design safely allows for babies to be in a semi-reclined position while providing the protection needed during a crash, when properly installed in the vehicle.

It’s important to make sure your child is tightly harnessed and fully buckled in their car seat at all times, and that their car seat is installed in the vehicle at the appropriate recline for their age.

If your baby falls asleep while you’re driving, always move them into a safe sleep environment when you get to your destination. The same advice applies to rockers, bouncers, and swings. If your baby begins to nod off, move them to a crib, bassinet, or play yard.

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About the Author:

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.