By Meghan Roos
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning on Thursday after the agency said two infant deaths were reported in connection with the use of infant loungers manufactured by Leachco.
The CPSC said "public health and safety" necessitated its warning to "immediately stop using" the Podster loungers because Leachco is "refusing" to issue a voluntary recall.
Leachco issued a statement of its own disputing the CPSC's warning and saying the loungers in question are not intended for sleeping. A Leachco spokesperson told Newsweek both deaths mentioned by the CPSC occurred when the infant loungers were used in either a crib or a bed while other soft items were within reach.
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One death occurred in 2015 when a 4-month-old baby at a day care facility was left unsupervised to sleep in a lounger that had been placed inside a crib. A death in 2018 occurred when a 3-week-old baby was with two adults in a bed that had other bedding materials present, the Leachco spokesperson told Newsweek.
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The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and First Candle, an organization advocating for safe infant sleep practices, also released statements in support of Leachco.
The CPSC said in its warning that it "is aware of two infants who were placed on a Podster and suffocated when, due to a change in position, their noses and mouths were obstructed by the Podster or another object." The agency said infant loungers "are not safe for sleep" and added that babies that fall asleep in positions other than on their backs, as recommended, should be repositioned.
The infant loungers identified in the CPSC's warning are the Podster, Podster Plush, Bummzie and the Podster Playtime. The CPSC shared photos of the four loungers included in the warning posted on the agency's website and said an estimated 180,000 had been sold.
Reached for comment Friday, the Leachco spokesperson disputed the details shared by the CPSC.
"Leachco disagrees with the CPSC's description of those events, and the CPSC investigated those deaths at the time that they occurred," the spokesperson said.
In its statement released Thursday following the agency's warning, Leachco said the CPSC "is wrongly telling consumers to stop using the Podster altogether instead of explaining that no lounger should be used in a crib or bed and no lounger is safe for unsupervised sleep."
The company went on to say it supports sleep safety guidelines outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It said it "urges families to use the Podster as intended for supervised daytime activity only—not for sleep."
The JPMA's statement in support of Leachco said warnings against using infant loungers are "a matter of great concern" and added that the products can "offer great benefit" when properly used.
Infant loungers "should remain available to parents and not be reviewed against the standards for sleep products, as they are not designed, intended or marketed for unsupervised overnight sleep or napping," the JPMA said.
Leachco's statement concluded by similarly pointing to the "important role" loungers can have with caregivers.
"The CPSC's claims are wrong," Leachco said. "The agency ignores the important role loungers can have for parents and makes the wrong choice for families. Leachco stands by the Podster's quality, safety and value."
Reached for comment Friday, the CPSC said in a statement shared with Newsweek that it will continue its investigation into the Leachco loungers.
"Following the deaths of two infants, the Consumer Product Safety Commission made a formal public health and safety finding in order to officially and quickly warn the public to stop using the Leachco Podster infant loungers due to risk of suffocation," the statement said. "This warning comes several months after a different brand of infant loungers was recalled.
"Infant loungers like Podsters are not safe for sleep yet Leachco has so far refused CPSC's request to conduct a voluntary recall of the product," the CPSC's statement went on. "It is important to remember that under federal law, consumers' use is considered in deciding whether a product is defective."
The CPSC said it will continue its investigation of Leachco's Podster and consider other actions, including potentially litigating, "to protect consumers from this hazard."
"The best place for a baby to sleep is on their back on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard without blankets, pillows, or padded crib bumpers," the CPSC said.
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