Amazon, Walmart, and Target have taken a significant step by removing weighted sleepwear for infants from their stores. This move comes after repeated warnings that these products pose a risk to babies by potentially restricting their ability to breathe and circulate blood properly.
Medical experts caution that these weighted products can lead to dangerous drops in oxygen levels in infants, which could harm their developing brains or even result in death. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has linked multiple infant deaths to various weighted infant sleep products such as blankets, swaddles, and sleep sacks.
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have echoed concerns about the safety of these products. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics expressed worries about the lack of a clear safety standard for weighted infant sleep products.
Dr. Ben Hoffman, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, commended the retailers’ decision to remove these items, stating that it’s a crucial initial step in ensuring infant safety.
Senator Richard Blumenthal has called for an investigation into alleged deceptive marketing practices by two major weighted-sleepwear manufacturers, Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean. He emphasized the importance of not labeling these products as ‘safe’ without a clear disclaimer regarding the absence of an agreed-upon safety standard.
CPSC Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr. has also urged retailers to reconsider offering these products, citing the heartbreaking experiences of parents who have lost children due to these products.
While both companies defended their products, stating they have helped millions of babies sleep, skeptics argue that without stringent safety testing and standards, it’s impossible to ensure their safety.
Nordstrom and Babylist have joined other major retailers in discontinuing the sale of these products, a move praised by Trumka as potentially life-saving.
