December 15, 2025 – A tragic incident involving a Boppy pillow has been reported, leading to the death of a 3-month-old baby boy. The infant reportedly suffocated after rolling over while positioned between a Boppy pillow and another surface, unable to roll back or reposition himself to breathe.
Product Details
Incident Overview
On November 24, 2025, an incident report was filed detailing the death of a 3-month-old baby boy. According to the report, the infant was positioned between a Boppy pillow and another surface when he rolled over. Due to his age and developmental stage, the baby was unable to roll over sufficiently to clear his airway and breathe, resulting in suffocation. The precise location and whether the infant was supervised at the exact moment of the incident were not specified in the report, but the circumstances point to a situation where the pillow created an entrapment hazard.
Safety Concerns
This incident highlights critical safety concerns associated with infant support pillows, particularly when used in proximity to other surfaces or for unsupervised rest.
- Immediate Danger of Suffocation/Positional Asphyxia: Infants, especially those under six months, lack the necessary neck and head control to free themselves if their face becomes pressed against a soft surface or if they become entrapped. A soft pillow can conform to an infant’s face, blocking their airway. If an infant rolls or shifts into an unsafe position, especially when confined between a pillow and another object, they may not have the strength or coordination to move themselves to a safe breathing position.
- Unsafe Sleep Environments: The primary risk is the creation of an unsafe sleep environment. Soft bedding, pillows, and loose blankets are known hazards that increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation. Even for brief moments of rest, placing an infant on or near soft objects can be dangerous.
- Who Might Be Affected: This risk primarily affects infants, particularly newborns and those up to six months of age, who have limited mobility and head control. Parents and caregivers who are unaware of safe sleep guidelines or who misuse infant support products by allowing infants to sleep on or near them are inadvertently putting their children at risk.
- No Property Damage Potential: The safety concerns in this incident relate directly to the physical well-being and life of an infant, not property damage.
What Consumers Should Do
In light of this tragic incident and consistent with safe sleep guidelines from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), consumers should take immediate action to ensure infant safety:
- Always Supervise: Boppy pillows and similar infant support products are designed for supervised awake time only. Never use these products for sleep, napping, or any unsupervised period, even for a few minutes.
- Follow Safe Sleep Guidelines: Always place infants to sleep on their back, on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets current safety standards. The sleep area should be “bare is best,” meaning free from all soft objects, including pillows, blankets, bumpers, and stuffed animals.
- Check Product Instructions: Carefully read and strictly follow all manufacturer instructions and warnings for any infant product. Understand what the product is intended for and, crucially, what it is *not* intended for.
- Assess Sleep Environments: Regularly inspect your infant’s sleep and play areas to remove any potential hazards. Ensure there are no soft materials, loose items, or entrapment risks.
- Report Incidents: If you or someone you know has experienced an incident involving a consumer product, report it immediately to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at www.SaferProducts.gov.
Manufacturer’s Response
On December 10, 2025, The Boppy Company LLC provided a statement regarding the incident: “At Boppy, our collective hearts ache for any parent who has lost a child. We passionately support the AAP and CPSC guidelines on safe sleep and proper product usage, ‘Bare is Best’, and that cribs and bassinets should be of flat, firm surfaces and free from soft materials such as stuffed animals, blankets or pillows. This is why we emphasize that Boppy’s infant products are only for supervised awake time and that they are not marketed or intended for sleep. Since our founding, Boppy has been committed to the safety of infants. We encourage any consumers with questions about the proper use of Boppy products or about best sleep practices to contact us at info@boppy.com.”
Legal Help Available
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product or suffered property damage due to a product malfunction, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced product liability attorneys at Farzan Law understand the complexities of defective product cases and can help you navigate the legal process.
Contact us today for a free consultation: 424-325-3112
Our legal team has successfully represented clients in product liability cases involving defective appliances, automotive defects, medical devices, and consumer products. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case.
Note: This information is based on incident reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you find information that is incorrect, please contact us immediately so we can correct the post to reflect accurate information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. This article is based on publicly available incident reports. The incidents mentioned have not necessarily been independently verified or adjudicated.