The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and four major baby-product retailers today announced a voluntary recall of Nap Nanny infant recliners. Five infants have died in these recliners, according to the CPSC. The recall affects all versions and styles of Nap Nanny infant recliners: Generation 1, Generation 2, and the Chill. Baby Matters, LLC, the products' manufacturer, is out of business, according to company owner and founder Leslie Gudel. If you own any version of this recliner you should immediately stop using it.
The recliner originally was recalled in 2010 after the first reported death in a Nap Nanny, as well as 22 reports of infants hanging or falling out over the side of the product, even though most of the infants had been placed in the recliner's harness. The 2010 recall, by Baby Matters, LLC of Berwyn, Pa., in cooperation with the CPSC, provided new instructions and a warning on the company's website.
But despite the improvements to the warnings and instructions, additional deaths using the Nap Nanny recliners were reported. Since the 2010 recall, in fact, the CPSC received an additional 70 reports of children nearly falling out of the product. The CPSC decided that the 2010 recall action was not enough, and on December 4 took the unusual step of filing an administrative complaint due to defects in the products' design, warnings, and instructions, alleging that the products "create a substantial risk of injury to the public."
Five thousand Nap Nanny Generation One and 50,000 Generation Two models were sold between 2009 and early 2012 and have been discontinued. One hundred thousand Chill Models have been sold since January 2011.The recalled Nap Nanny recliners were sold at toy and children's retail stores nationwide and online, including at www.napnanny.com.
According to the CPSC, the four retailers agreed to participate in the recall at CPSC's request because the manufacturer was "unable or unwilling to participate in the recall." All four retailers are offering refunds to customers who purchased the Nap Nanny from them.
