Two Infants Suffocated to Death by Hammock, Thousands of Units Recalled

On December 8, 2009, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a nationwide recall of the Amby Baby Motion Beds following 2 reports of infant deaths. The infants, a 4-month-old girl from Lawrenceville, Georgia and a 5-month-old boy from Gresham, Oregon, died of suffocation while sleeping in the hammock in June and August of 2009.

The hazard arises from the tilting or shifting motion of the hammock. As the product shifts, the infant inside can roll and become wedged against the fabric of the hammock or the mattress pad resulting in suffocation if the infant’s mouth and nose are obstructed.

There is only one model of this product, a fabric hammock connected to a steel frame by way of a spring and metal crossbar. The recalled hammock is easily identified by a tag sewn into the fabric of the hammock that says “Amby - Babies Love It, Naturally.”

Amby Baby USA, the Minneapolis-based company responsible for the design and import of the product, sold the Motion Bed through its website and other internet retailers for about $250, according to the CPSC recall notice. All of the units subject to the recall were made in China.

In total, since its introduction to the US market in January 2003, approximately 24,000 units have found their way into American homes.

The CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the Amby Baby Motion Bed and to contact Amby Baby, who is offering a free repair kit.

More information on the Amby Baby Motion Bed recall is available at the CPSC recall notice.

For more information on crib safety is available at the CPSC Crib Information Center.

Photo credit: CPSC recall notice