Graco has issued a recall of approximately 51,000 of their infant inclined sleepers because they pose a suffocation risk. While no deaths have occurred with the Graco infant inclined sleepers, there have been a number of infant deaths linked to other, very similar products. The inclined sleepers that are being recalled by Graco have been sold as accessories to the following Graco playards:
If you have an inclined sleeper that is an accessory to any of the above products you should stop using it immediately to avoid putting your baby in danger. The playard itself is still safe for your baby as long as the inclined sleeper is not being used.
Although the inclined sleepers may seem like a good product, their core design is inherently dangerous. The American Academy of Pediatrics safe-sleep guidelines state that babies should always sleep on their backs in a firm, empty crib to prevent accidental suffocation. The inclined design of the sleepers directly contradicts these safe-sleep guidelines. The sleepers position your baby at a 30° angle, drastically increasing your infant’s chances of suffocating from rolling onto their stomach or from their head slumping forward.
Graco’s recall comes nearly two years after the first notice from Consumer Reports of infant deaths due to inclined sleepers and is the eleventh recall of inclined sleepers to date. Since the first investigation by Consumer Reports, there have been over 5.6 million inclined sleepers recalled, 1,000 incidents–some of which involved serious injuries–and 93 infant deaths linked to inclined sleepers. Thankfully, there has been significant progress towards eliminating these dangerous products from the market over the past two years.
In response to the dangers posed by these sleepers, the House of Representatives passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act in December of 2019. Unfortunately, it is still waiting for the Senate to take action. If passed, this proposed law would outlaw the manufacture of infant inclined sleepers entirely.
If you or someone you know uses an infant inclined sleeper, we advise you to stop using it immediately and contact Graco for a refund. If you are grieving the loss of your baby–or coping with a serious injury to your child—after using an inclined sleeper, please contact the defective products attorneys at Collins Law Group as soon as possible. We can help you discover whether the inclined sleeper was to blame and what steps to take if it was. No family should have to suffer the injury or loss of a child, and our compassionate injury lawyers will help you get justice. Please fill out our contact form or call us at (630) 527-1595 for a FREE evaluation of your case.
