Summary: Congressman Tony Cárdenas, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, and Senator Richard Blumenthal have introduced the Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act, a bill aimed at banning weighted sleep products such as swaddles, sleep sacks, and blankets that pose significant risks to infants by restricting their movement and potentially impeding their breathing during unsupervised sleep. This legislation follows multiple infant deaths and warnings from key health agencies, and it has garnered support from major organizations focused on child safety.
Key Takeaways:
- Legislation to Ban Weighted Sleep Products: The Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act seeks to ban weighted sleep products for infants that have been linked to multiple deaths due to their potential to restrict movement and breathing.
- Warnings from Health and Safety Agencies: The Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued warnings about the dangers of weighted sleep products.
- Broad Support for the Legislation: The bill has garnered support from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Reports, and Kids in Danger.
Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the bicameral Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act to ban weighted sleep products like swaddles, sleep sacks, and blankets that obstruct movement and make it difficult for babies to breath during unsupervised overnight sleep.
Following multiple infant deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned parents and consumers of the dangers of weighted sleep products and deemed them unsafe.
“Experts agree that weighted sleep sacks and swaddles are downright dangerous—restricting babies’ movements and putting pressure on their chests that potentially impact their breathing,” says Blumenthal in a release. “Our Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act will take the proactive action parents need to ensure that only the safest products are available to help their babies sleep. The stakes are simply too high to allow weighted infant sleep sacks and swaddles to stay on the market without evidence that they are safe.”
Earlier this year, major American retailers Target, Walmart, Nordstrom, and Babylist announced they would stop selling these products in the interest of safety.
“Exhausted parents shouldn’t have to become part-time product safety regulators, but our current system forces them to by allowing infant products onto the market without evidence they are safe,” says American Academy of Pediatrics president Benjamin D. Hoffman, MD, FAAP, in a release. “We need a proactive approach that keeps infants safe and gives parents the peace of mind they deserve. The American Academy of Pediatrics proudly endorses the Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act and commends Sen Blumenthal, Rep Cardenas, and Rep Schrier for their leadership.”
Along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act is supported by Kids in Danger, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Public Citizen, US PIRG, and Safe Infant Sleep.
During the 117th Congress, President Joe Biden signed the Cárdenas- and Schakowsky-led Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 into law to ban crib bumper pads and infant inclined sleep products that posed a serious danger and unfortunately caused numerous deaths.
Photo 291642910 © Nataliia Osetrova | Dreamstime.com
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