CaTeam Recalls Baby Hammock Swings Due to Suffocation Hazard, Violation of Safe Sleep for Babies Act

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a joint recall with CaTeam for about 700 of the company’s canvas baby hammock swings stating that they pose a suffocation hazard and violate the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. The act, which took effect in November 2022, prohibits the manufacture and sale of inclined sleepers that put babies at angles greater than 10 degrees. The recalled CaTeam hammock swings were marketed for infant sleep even though their incline angle exceeds 10 degrees, according to the June 29, 2023, recall notice.

Before they were banned, inclined sleepers (often referred to as rockers, nappers or loungers) typically were designed to place babies at angles as great as 30 degrees, which allows infants to get into a chin-to-chest position in which their airway is blocked. Inclined sleepers also typically had soft padded surfaces which pose an asphyxiation hazard.

While the Safe Sleep for Babies Act makes it illegal to sell inclined sleepers, they often make their way to numerous secondhand marketplaces which include Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, flea markets, garage sales, etc.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be put to sleep on their backs, on a separate, flat and firm sleep surface without any bumpers, loose bedding or stuffed toys.

The CaTeam hammock swings were sold online at CaTeam.store and Amazon from November 2022 through January 2023 for between $70 and $100. They are made of wood and cloth with adjustable height settings and come in ivory, taupe gray, gray, dark gray, blue, ochre, green and pink. “CaTeam” is printed on a label stitched on the swings.

The recall notice instructs consumers to immediately stop using the recalled swings and to contact CaTeam for instructions on how to receive a full refund and properly dispose of the product.

What Should I Do If My Child Has Been Injured by a CaTeam Hammock Swing?

Feldman Shepherd partner and product liability attorney Daniel J. Mann recommends contacting a product liability attorney immediately if your child has been injured by a CaTeam canvass baby hammock swing or any other recalled product.

Mann said that product liability law requires that all products be safe for their intended as well as expected use and that manufacturers who put dangerous products into the marketplace are not shielded from legal liability simply by recalling them.

Mann’s team at Feldman Shepherd, which includes co-founding partner Alan M. Feldman and partner Edward S. Goldis, have secured substantial recoveries on behalf of infants and young children who have been seriously injured or killed by children’s products, including inclined infant sleep products, baby slings, unsafe and unstable furniture and magnetic toys.