Nursing Pillows Are Now Required to Meet New Federal Safety Standards

Moms can use all the help they can get when breastfeeding. For parents struggling with an aching back or sore arms from holding baby in just the right position, nursing pillows can provide much-needed relief. But these handy helpers can also prove dangerous for baby if left unsupervised.

In 2023 an NBC News investigation garnered attention across the US after reporting that more than 162 infant deaths have been associated with nursing pillows since 2007. Left unattended to sleep or lounge in the U-shaped pillows, the count includes deaths caused by suffocation when babies turned their faces into the pillows or by restricted airways when babies arched backward or slumped down on the pillows.

On the heels of the report, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stepped up to demand the first federal safety guidelines for nursing pillows in 2024. Last week, these guidelines were finally enshrined into federal law to help make nursing pillows safer and to bring more awareness to the dangers of leaving baby with a nursing pillow unattended.

The new federal safety standards include:

• More prominent labels on the pillows to warn of dangers. Most nursing pillows already have warning labels that caution against using the product for sleep or lounging, but the new recommendation would require these new tags to be made more visible and more difficult to remove.
• A level of sufficient firmness. A firmer pillow is less likely to conform around a baby’s nose and mouth and present a suffocation hazard.
• Larger openings in U-shaped pillows wide enough to avoid restricting baby’s head movements, which could also cut off airflow.
• The removal of straps or any restraint feature that could lead parents to believe it is safe to leave baby unattended in a nursing pillow.

“Today, a CPSC safety standard goes into effect to address the 12 infant deaths that have happened each year, on average, in nursing pillows,” CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said in a statement. “Babies were dying in nursing pillows mainly because many of their designs made people think they were for sleep. But instead of providing a safe sleep environment, they posed suffocation hazards. They were too soft and fit too tightly around a baby’s head. CPSC’s nursing pillows standard solves those problems. New nursing pillows will work just as well for nursing, but without the suffocation risk.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants always sleep on their back, on a separate, flat and firm sleep surface without any bumpers or loose bedding. If you’re looking for ways to ensure you’re following safe infant sleep practices, check out The Bump’s top 10 tips.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.