Our international litigation lawyers report that the recall was prompted after the suffocation death of a four-month-old Georgia girl in June and a five-month-old Oregon boy in August. The commission also said there were three other non-lethal incidents related to the hammock.
The commission stated that the “side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard.”
Additional action has been taken by Health Canada, the country’s department responsible for national public health. In an urgent advisory, Health Canada said that the Amby hammock “should be disassembled and disposed of in such a way that they cannot be used again.”
While no incidents have been reported in Canada regarding the hammock, the department wanted to take action. Due to a lack of regulations in the country on bassinets and hammocks for babies, there are no real controls that manufacturers must follow. This prompted the government in April to propose the creation of more rigorous standards for such devices.
An additional lack of standards in the U.S. exists. Nancy Cowles, executive director of non-profit Kids In Danger, told the Associated Press: “There is currently no safety standard that would cover a hammock. And CPSC has recently recalled other [hammock] versions for entanglement hazards, so Kids In Danger would recommend parents not use these types of products until a safety standard is in place.”
Amby’s Web site states: “Consumers should stop using these beds immediately and find an alternative safe sleeping arrangement for your child.”
“For consumers in the U.S., Amby Baby will be offering a repair kit as soon as possible, but not earlier than January 2010.”