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Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) associated with the use of “inclined sleepers”—baby seats that are not firm or flat, which also do not align with the established recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—kept rising even after such products were recalled in 2019, according to a study published in Pediatrics. From 2009 to 2023, there were 158 SUIDs in inclined sleepers, and 50 deaths (32%) occurred after 2019. An additional 108 deaths (68%) occurred from 2009 to 2019, the years prior to the recalls. In 51 deaths (32%), the Consumer Product Safety Commission found the infant’s airway was obstructed by the inclined sleeper material and/or by other soft bedding. Legislation in 2022 prohibited the manufacturer of inclined sleepers, and the commission redoubled its product recalls in 2023.
Worth mentioning: What’s most concerning is that 86% of infant deaths in the sleepers happened at home, and 83% were under the supervision of a parent. Nearly 30% of cases reported that the infant was placed supine in the sleeper and subsequently was found unresponsive and nonsupine. Many of the sleepers are marketed as items to soothe babies and help them fall asleep. AAP specifically recommends supine positioning of infants; use of a firm, noninclined sleep surface; room sharing without bed sharing; and avoidance of soft bedding. While evidence demonstrates there are additional factors separate from inclined sleepers that are also associated with sudden unexpected infant deaths, eliminating inclined sleepers is a common-sense preventive recommendation clinicians can easily communicate to parents of children under 1 year.