The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned of illegally sold baby pillows that were recalled two years ago
Boppy Newborn Loungers were linked to 10 infant deaths that forced authorities to stop them from being legally sold
However, officials found that thousands of the product are still being sold on Facebook Marketplace
Recalled baby pillows linked to 10 infant deaths have been found to be illegally on sale on Facebook Marketplace despite a 2021 order to cease the product's sale.
Federal safety regulators warned of the dangers of using Boppy Newborn Loungers as they are no longer for sale legally. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Tuesday said that it found thousands of the product available online since the recall two years ago.
Federal Officials Warn of Illegally-Sold Baby Pillows
In a letter on Tuesday, the agency told the CEO of Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Mark Zuckerberg, that it has already made repeated requests to have recalled items taken down from Marketplace, as per ABC News.
The agency cited that the newborn loungers are a "particularly egregious example" of a product that puts customers' lives at risk. In a statement, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka said that until the sales of the recalled items are stopped, infants will continue to be at risk of dying.
Trumka added that so far, Meta has not taken any effective action related to the agency's average of one thousand takedown requests. These were made every month for the last year to have Boppy loungers removed from the Marketplace.
The company that manufactured the products, Boppy Co., ordered the recall of more than 3 million of its infant pillows. The decision was made in 2021 in relation to suffocation risk following reports of eight deaths associated with the newborn loungers between 2015 and 2020.
After the recall order, there were two more reports of deaths related to the company's newborn loungers. In its latest announcement, the CPSV said that infants are at risk of suffocating if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that prevents them from breathing properly, according to CBS News.
Protecting Babies' Lives
Boppy Co. and the commission are now urging consumers to stop using the newborn loungers and are requesting online marketplaces, such as Facebook, to take down any posts that are trying to sell the products.
The recalled newborn loungers were sold as three different models at the time and all were included in the notice. Boppy Co. told parents and caregivers to stop using the affected loungers immediately. They also urged them to immediately contact the company to receive a refund for their purchase of the products.
In a previous statement, Boppy Co. said that it was dedicated to doing all that it could to safeguard babies' lives. This includes educating parents and caregivers on the importance of warnings and instructions associated with unsafe sleep practices for newborn babies.
The now-recalled products were sold in stores from January 2004 to September 2021 before the notice. They were distributed in the United States and Canada by major companies, including Amazon, Pottery Barn Kids, Target, and Walmart, said NPR.
