The CPSC and Amby Baby announced a recall of the Amby Baby Motion Beds after getting reports of two deaths. The babies were entrapped in the product in a position that didn't allow them to get air. See our previous post here for more information.
CPSC has announced a repair kit for the product that will stabilize it to try to prevent movement that might lead to tilting or unsafe positions. On the other hand, Health Canada instead warns its citizens to stop using the product and dispose of it in such a way it can't be used again. They believe that hammocks are inherently unsafe for babies and recommends against their use.
We tend to side with Health Canada. We'll withhold judgement on the 'repair kit' until we see it, but find it hard to believe this product can be made safe for the uses Amby Baby recommends.
In particular, we can't see how this product could be safe for a baby once he or she rolls over or can push up on hands or knees. And yet Amby suggests it can be used up to nine months, well past that development stage for most babies.
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2 comments:
It is very unfortunate that those two babies died while sleeping in the Amby Baby Motion Bed. I couldn’t imagine what the parents are going through. However, having one of these beds and loving it for my child, I would like to know more about the incidents. I imagine the reason no one can find more information on them is due to the lawsuit, which doesn’t allow parents, nor should it allow organizations, to make informed decisions.
Also, I'm curious as to why Kid's In Danger along with CSPC suggests everyone stop using them immediately and switch to a safer alternative. What’s the safer alternative? In the past two years, CPSC has announced the recall of over 5 million cribs, bassenets and play yards. Kids In Danger even have links dedicated to these recalls. That sounds much more safe (please sense the sarcasm here)! Oh, wait! They have safety standards for those products too (again, sarcasm).
Sincerely,
Amby Baby Bed Owner & Parent
I understand that many parents use and like the Amby Motion Bed. But many other parents, while their child wasn't injured, have reported problems with leveling the product and the baby slipping down into corners or against the sidewall -- the position the babies who died were found in. We feel the product is not safe and had to say so.
But your comment about what is a safe environment is very timely. As you mention, cribs have been recalled by the millions, along with bassinets and portable cribs. It does leave a parent wondering what is safe. We still believe the safest place for a baby is in a crib that meets current safety standards, with no additional bedding. You can find some tips for checking your crib for safety here: http://kidsindanger.blogspot.com/2009/11/cpsc-about-to-announce-huge-crib-recall.html
We call on manufacturers and the CPSC to work diligently on improving the mandatory standards for all children's products, but especially those used as sleep environments.
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