Safety concerns arise over weighted baby sleeping products after commission’s warning

Sleep-deprived new parents are increasingly turning to sleeping bags and weighted blankets to help their babies sleep better and longer. But the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have raised serious safety concerns. The AAP says these products are unsafe for babies, and the CPSC told CBS News it is investigating “multiple fatalities associated with” heavy infant products.

Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean products are among those that major retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, pulled from their shelves after a CPSC commissioner wrote letters to the companies warning of potential dangers.

But these two companies maintain that their products were designed with safety in mind, that they consulted experts, that there have been no deaths caused by their products, and that the deaths being investigated are not associated with products manufactured by these brands.

Nested Bean & Dreamland Baby CEOs Defend Product Safety

Despite these warnings, Nested Bean CEO Manasi Gangan said there is no investigation related to his company’s products and noted that there have been no deaths related to the items.

Gangan founded his company in 2011 after seeking sleep solutions for his own son. She says the products, containing a pouch of small plastic beads, mimic a parent’s comforting hand on a baby’s chest and are safe. She also commissioned a study that she says shows the weight of the products did not affect the baby’s breathing or heart rate.

Gangan says the study proved “that our products have always been safe, just as we designed them, they were designed to be safe.”

However, the AAP noted that the study only measured the weight of five babies for two minutes and did not test the products in real-world conditions for babies who slept for long periods.

Dreamland Baby CEO Tara Williams, also a mother who started her company after looking for sleep solutions, also defended her company’s products.

She said Dreamland Baby has a full medical board, led by a pediatrician.

Safety “has always been at the core of what we do,” Williams said.

She said she based it on a study of babies who used heavy products in hospitals and is conducting her own clinical trial now.

However, she acknowledged that no studies were conducted before the products hit the market in 2018. When asked whether it is a manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure the safety of a product before it hits the market, Williams questioned whether any other companies conduct extensive clinical trials and peer reviewed. , which can take years before a product is launched. “We’re a small company. How would we have innovation in America? I mean, that’s how America works,” Williams said.

Health experts and parents warn against heavy sleeping bags

Gloria Gamboa, a new mother of twins, initially hoped the Dreamland Baby’s weighted sleeping bag would help her babies sleep. But she found the bags too heavy and feared her children would not be able to move or breathe. She decided not to use them due to her concerns for her babies’ safety.

“My instincts told me, don’t use that,” Gamboa said.

Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the AAP, said anything that limits a baby’s movement or affects his or her ability to breathe can put him or her at risk. The AAP advises against using weighted blankets or swaddles for babies, citing risks such as lower oxygen levels and a greater chance of SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome.

“I can’t imagine a scenario in which [weighted products] are a good thing,” Hoffman said.

In a statement to CBS News, the CPSC said it advises parents against using heavy blankets and swaddles for sleeping. “The CPSC encourages parents to consult their pediatrician before purchasing any product that claims to improve a baby’s health or help with sleep.”

Regulatory gaps in products

Dr. Hoffman explained that the current system allows products to enter the market without any proven safety record or safety demonstration requirement.

He said products can be sold even if they contradict established medical knowledge and scientific evidence about safe sleep practices.

“The proof of safety is with the manufacturer,” Hoffman said. “Show me the data that it is safe. If you can’t show me it’s safe, I won’t be able to recommend it.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pointed to a broader regulatory issue, saying the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have the power to pull products from shelves.

“No matter how egregious or serious the dangers of a given product, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have any powers to force companies to stop producing or selling them,” Blumenthal said.

Both Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean told CBS News that their sales dropped more than 50% following retailers’ decisions to remove their products. The CEO of Dreamland Baby said she plans to sue the CPSC over the commissioner’s letter to retailers, alleging the agency violated her constitutional rights.