Nap Nanny Infant Deaths Lead To Recall, Settlement of CPSC Lawsuit

After lengthy negotiations, Baby Matters LLC has reached a settlement agreement with federal safety regulators that has resulted in a recall for all models of their Nap Nanny and Chill products, which are infant recliners that have been linked to nearly 100 reports of children hanging or falling over the side of the product, including at least five infant deaths.

On June 14, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced it had reached an agreement with Baby Matters LLC and issued a Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill recall.

The Nap Nanny Infant Recliners are portable, shaped mattresses that are designed for sleeping, resting or playing. The recliners have a foam shaped bucket seat, with a fabric covering and a three point harness.

In December 2012, the CPSC filed an administrative lawsuit over the Nap Nanny seeking to force a recall due to defects in the design, warning labels, and inadequate instructions. At that time, the CPSC warned that continuing to use the products could put infants at a significant risk of injury or death.

Owner and founder of Baby Matters LLC, Leslie Gudel, denied all allegations raised by the CPSC. The manufacturer stated that the products were being used incorrectly and that the design did not cause a safety hazard or contribute to the deaths of the five children.

After Baby Matters LLC refused to recall the Nap Nanny recliners from the market, U.S. CPSC officials filed the administrative complaint, which is a rare action taken by the government regulators.

Terms of the settlement agreement include recalling roughly 160,000 Baby Matters infant recliners sold between 2009 and 2012 for about $130. The company must also leave its website napnanny.com available to the public for another 5 years to warn consumers about the recall.

After the administrative complaint was filed against Baby Matter LLC, the company went out of business and is not accepting returned products.

In 2012, Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Diapers.com, and Toys R Us/Babies R Us announced a voluntary recall for the infant recliners. Consumers who purchased any of the Nap Nanny or Chill model infant recliners from these retailers should contact them for instructions on how to obtain a full refund. Consumers who purchased the products at other children’s stores nationwide including napnanny.com should dispose of the product immediately.