SG 125/23
US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish a consumer product safety rule for nursing pillows
On September 26, 2023, the CPSC published a notice of proposed rulemaking (16 CFR 1242) to establish a safety standard aimed at reducing the risk of death and injury from hazards associated with nursing pillows. The proposed rule will address suffocation, entrapment and fall hazards associated infants when they are asleep or are left unattended on or with these products. Currently, there are no available voluntary or mandatory safety standard for nursing pillows that address these hazards.
The proposed rule defines the nursing pillow as, “any product intended, marketed, or designed to position and support an infant close to a caregiver's body while breastfeeding or bottle feeding. These products rest upon, wrap around or are worn by a caregiver in a seated or reclined position.”
The requirements in the proposed rule include:
- General requirements
- Lead in paints
- Small parts
- Hazardous sharp edges or points
- Removal of components
- Permanency of labels and warnings
- Performance requirements
- Firmness
- Infant containment
- Infant restraints
- Seam strength
- Caregiver attachment strength
- Marking and labeling requirements
- Instructional literature requirements
Exempted from the proposed rule are:
- Maternity pillows (also known as a pregnancy pillow), defined as, “a large body pillow intended, marketed, and designed to provide support to a pregnant adult's body during sleep or while lying down.”
- Sling carriers, defined in 16 CFR 1228 as, “a product of fabric or sewn fabric construction, which is designed to contain up to two (2) children in an upright or reclined position while being supported by the caregiver’s torso. Sling carriers are normally used from full-term birth to 35 lb (15.9 kg) unless the manufacturer indicates that a higher weight limit is allowed.”
16 CFR 1130 is also proposed to be updated to include nursing pillows as durable infant or toddler products that require consumer registration. Safety Standard for Nursing Pillows is also proposed to be included in 16 CFR 1112 that list children’s product safety rules for which the CPSC has issued a notice of requirements (NORs).
CPSC proposed an effective date of 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Interested parties are invited to submit their comments by November 27, 2023.
Notice of Proposed Rule 16 CFR 1242
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