A company based in California that produces baby neck floats has disregarded safety warnings from two federal agencies and a report of a baby drowning while using their product. Consumer Reports raised concerns about the sale of Otteroo baby neck floats despite the risks involved. Since the introduction of the Otteroo on the market, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received 68 incident reports regarding this inflatable flotation ring for infants as young as three weeks. In all cases, the infants had to be saved by their caregivers. Although most of these incidents did not result in lasting harm, some required hospital visits, CPR, or intubation.
The CPSC stated that a 6-month-old baby in Maine died from drowning three years ago after falling through the neck hole of the Otteroo device. Similarly, a 3-month-old was seriously injured in New York last year in a similar incident. Despite these alarming incidents, Otteroo founder Tiffany Chiu insists that their products are safe with proper parental supervision. Chiu pointed out that infants can slip out of other products like bath seats and argued that accidents are possible in any situation involving water.
Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CPSC have issued warnings urging parents not to use any neck float products. These agencies highlight the risk of deflation, which can cause the device to tighten around an infant’s neck, potentially leading to strangulation. However, Otteroo maintains that the possibility of deflation resulting from a leak should not be considered a defect since all inflatables share this inherent characteristic.
Consumer Reports chose to focus on Otteroo due to its popularity and the company’s resistance to issuing a recall. The organization’s policy counsel noted that other manufacturers of baby neck floats, such as Mambobaby and Swimava, do not have the same level of brand recognition as Otteroo. Consumer Reports emphasizes the need for accountability and prioritizing infant safety, arguing that waiting for additional data on injuries and deaths is unacceptable.
Baby neck floats gained popularity in recent years, with social media displaying photos of these swim devices. However, a pediatrician has described them as potential death traps. The FDA also questions the effectiveness of these products, especially for babies with certain medical conditions. Ultimately, the safety and appropriateness of baby neck floats remain a contentious issue.
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