Lawyers acting on behalf of a father whose five-month-old son died in a hammock bed manufactured in China for Amby Baby USA have filed suit against the manufacturer. The lawsuit alleges a defective and dangerous product and follows the tragic death of one of two known babies who have died in Amby Baby Motion Baby Beds. These infant suffocation deaths led the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) to issue a recall notice last December. Some 24,000 beds are affected.
As this blog alerted readers when the Amby baby hammock child injury recall was issued last year, the CPSC has warned that side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard. The agency urges parents and caregivers to find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby.
The National Institutes of Health provide the following ten ways that parents and caregivers can reduce the risk of infant death when placing babies down for sleeping:
- Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night. The back sleep position is the safest, and every sleep time counts.
- Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved* crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.
- Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. Don’t use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, and pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby’s sleep area, and keep any other items away from your baby’s face.
- Do not allow smoking around your baby. Don’t smoke before or after the birth of your baby, and don’t let others smoke around your baby.
- Keep your baby’s sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep. Your baby should not sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair with adults or other children, but he or she can sleep in the same room as you. If you bring the baby into bed with you to breastfeed, put him or her back in a separate sleep area, such as a bassinet, crib, cradle, or a bedside cosleeper (infant bed that attaches to an adult bed) when finished.
- Think about using a clean, dry pacifier when placing the infant down to sleep, but don’t force the baby to take it. (If you are breastfeeding your baby, wait until your child is 1 month old or is used to breastfeeding before using a pacifier.)
- Do not let your baby overheat during sleep. Dress your baby in light sleep clothing, and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.
- Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (“SIDS”) because most have not been tested for effectiveness or safety.
- Do not use home monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you have questions about using monitors for other conditions, talk to your health care provider.
- Reduce the chance that flat spots will develop on your baby’s head: provide “Tummy Time” when your baby is awake and someone is watching; change the direction that your baby lies in the crib from one week to the next; and avoid too much time in car seats, carriers, and bouncers.
A Portland child injury lawyer may be able to help if defective and dangerous children’s products cause serious injury or wrongful death. A no-cost, no-obligation consultation with an Oregon child injury lawyer can assist parents in protecting an injured child’s rights, recovering compensation, and helping to keep dangerous products from harming other children. Contact the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson online or toll free at (800) 714-3204 if you would like further information.
Related Web Resources
AP, Oregon Dad Sues Baby Hammock Maker for $5 Million, Dec. 31, 2009.
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
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