More infant inclined sleepers recalled in safety push after 73 babies’ deaths

Four more brands of infant inclined sleepers were recalled Wednesday, as the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission continues to warn parents to stop using a type of product implicated in at least 73 baby deaths.

The latest inclined sleepers being recalled are the SwaddleMe By Your Bed made by Summer Infant, the Pillo Portable Napper by Evenflo, the Little Lounger Rocking Seat by Graco; and a variety of Delta Enterprise Corp. sleepers.

Since last spring, millions of inclined sleepers have been recalled in voluntary actions taken by manufacturers and the federal consumer product agency. Those include the once-popular Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play, Kids II Rocking Sleeper and Dorel-brand sleepers. Consumers can search all of the recalls online at CPSC.gov.

The agency is pushing to ban all inclined sleepers that have an angle of more than 10 degrees, saying they aren’t safe whether they have a stiff back or are designed like a tilted hammock. The incline can result in the baby’s head slumping forward in such a way that it suffocates, authorities say.

The federal Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which would ban the sale of inclined sleepers and crib bumpers passed the U.S. House in December and is now in the Senate.

Consumer groups including Chicago-based Kids in Danger have been warning about inclined sleepers for years. The American Academy of Pediatrics, based in Itasca, recommends infants sleep on their back alone in a crib, with a flat, firm mattress, no crib bumpers and no soft bedding.

Inclined sleepers first reached the market 10 years ago with no federal standards or mandatory safety testing. In 2015, the industry approved voluntary standards — by then, safety advocates were arguing that no inclined sleepers were safe.