Kids Safety: New Bouncer Seat Standards

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently approved a new federal standard for infant bouncer seats in order to limit the number of injuries and deaths that occur as a result of unsafe manufacturing or design.

Infant bouncer seats may create serious dangers for kids. The CPSC received 347 reports of incidents involving infant bouncer seats between 2006 and 2016 – 54 of them included injuries and 12 others involved the death of a child. And that’s not all: from 2006 to 2015, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) received an additional 874 reports of children getting hurt in bouncer seats. Altogether, at least 1,221 kids sustained injuries or died in a ten-year span because of unsafe, hazardously placed or overcrowded bouncer seats.

Infant bouncer seats are made to allow babies to sit in reclined positions and bounce. Typically, the seats are intended for kid’s age 0-6 months who have not yet developed the strength and muscle control to sit up without help. Because the majority of injuries sustained by children were the result of tip-over incidents and mechanical malfunctions, the CPSC’s new federal guidelines require manufacturers to meet stability and product safety standards.

There are precautions that parents and caregivers can – and should – take when using infant bouncer seats. The CPSC determined that most fatalities occur when bouncer seats tip over onto soft surfaces like blankets or beds. Other fatalities occur when babies turn over in the bouncers themselves. To avoid this type of tragic accident, observe the following CPSC-recommended safety tips:

• Do not ever use or place infant bouncer seats on tables, countertops or any other type of elevated surface;
• Only put bouncer seats on the floor;
• Never place bouncer seats on beds, sofas, chairs or other soft surfaces;
• Always be close to a child in a bouncer seat – consistent supervision is key to maintaining safety;
• Even if a baby is asleep in the seat, make sure that all restraints and/or safety belts fit snugly and are in use, and:
• Don’t use a bouncer seat if a child weighs 20lbs or more, or if a child is able to sit up on his or her own – follow product guidelines

Luckily for parents and their children, many of the injuries and deaths that occur from unsafe bouncer seats are preventable by being vigilant, staying on top of new guidelines and always being careful. The CDC, AAP and CPSC will continue to find new ways to better keep children safe, so be sure to check back here to read updates on children’s safety.

Philadelphia Products Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Represent Children Injured by Unsafe Products

If your child sustained any injuries from an unsafe, mislabeled or defective product, please contact our Philadelphia products liability lawyers. With offices located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Reading and Lancaster, Galfand Berger serves clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.