Leachco Inc. refuses to recall its popular Podster and Bummzie sling-style baby loungers, despite a new warning from federal safety regulators and reports linking the products to two infant suffocation deaths.
As a nationally recognized Child Injury Lawyer, Jeffrey B. Killino believes victims of dangerous infant loungers and other defective baby products deserve compensation for their pain and suffering. If your son or daughter suffocated while using a Podster lounger, please call our law firm toll-free at 877-875-2927 to learn more about your legal rights.
Podster and Bummzie Baby Loungers: What’s the Problem?
According to the Leachco’s website, the Podsters’ unique features, including “deeply contoured sides” to keep a baby in place and a sling that expands with a child’s weight, provide a “warm and cozy caress for infants” along with “an upper-body elevation” that aids digestion and breathing.
But in a warning issued on January 20, 2022, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety (CPSC) said it was aware of two infants who died after being placed on a Podster. Both apparently suffocated when, due to a change in position, their noses and mouths were obstructed by the lounger or another object.
One of the fatalities involved a four-month-old boy who was found unresponsive in a Podster while at daycare. The cause of his death was eventually ruled to be “accidental complications from asphyxia.”
The other child, a 17-day-old baby, died in 2018.
Baby Loungers Included in the CPSC Podster Warning.
The CPSC is urging parents and caregivers to stop using Podster loungers immediately, including;
- Podster Lounger
- Poster Plush Lounger
- Podster Playtime Lounger
- Bummzie Lounger
Leachco has sold nearly 180,000 Podster-brand loungers since first launching the products in 2009. The loungers affected by the CPSC warning measure between 71 and 75 inches in circumference and have dimensions of approximately 23.75×21.5×8 inches. All have a padded insert and a removable cover that’s available in various colors and prints in either 100% polyester or a cotton and polyester blend. The covers also contain an elastic center made of a nylon and spandex blend.
According to Leachco’s website, Podsters are available for sale at several authorized retailers, including Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Macy’s, and Kaplan.
Why Hasn’t Leachco Announced a Podster Recall?
So far, the CPSC has linked 28 deaths to baby lounging pads and nursing pillows.
In September, the Commission announced a recall for more than 3 million Boppy New Born Loungers due to a similar suffocation risk. That action came after Boppy products had been implicated in eight infant fatalities.
Leachco has vehemently denied the agency’s assertions regarding Podsters and is refusing to remove the products from the market. Because the CPSC can’t force a company to act without going to court, most product recalls are entirely voluntary.
“CPSC intends to promptly consider other actions, including potential filing of an administrative complaint, to protect consumers from this hazard,” the Commission said in its January 20th press release. “Consumers are encouraged to report incidents from Podsters or other similar products to saferproducts.gov.”
The Basics of Safe Infant Sleep
The CPSC is once again reminding parents and caregivers to always follow these three basic rules for safe infant sleep:
- Back to Sleep: Always place the baby to sleep on the baby’s back to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID/SIDS) and suffocation;
- Bare is Best: Always keep the baby’s sleep space bare (fitted sheet only) to prevent suffocation. Do not use pillows, padded crib bumpers, quilts, or comforters; and
- Only place the baby to sleep in a product intended for sleep. Transfer the baby to a crib, bassinet, play yard, or bedside sleeper if the baby falls asleep in a swing, bouncer, lounger, or similar product.
In addition to nursing pillows and pillow-like loungers, a baby should never be allowed to fall asleep on an inclined sleeper or an infant positioner, including wedges, mats with bolsters, nests, and anti-roll type products, as they can also cause a child to suffocate.
It’s a good idea to avoid infant sleeper sacks or bags, swaddling blankets, and weighted blankets when trying to get your baby to sleep through the night. These products may also place your child at risk for suffocation, entrapment, strangulation, and SIDS.
Contact an Experienced Child Injury Lawyer Today
Jeffrey Killino has successfully handled a wide range of personal injury and wrongful death cases involving infants and children including matters involving dangerous baby products. He can help with defective infant sleepers and other cases. If your baby suffocated while using a Podster or another infant lounger, he and his legal staff will commit the resources necessary to ensure your family obtains the compensation and justice you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 1-877-875-2927.
