Popular Weighted Sleep Sacks Pulled From Shelves After Suffocation Risk Identified

By Jean Yaeger

While traditional sleep sacks are recommended for safe infant sleep, weighted sleep sacks are being taken off shelves due to concerns they could impair breathing and hinder a baby's ability to roll over.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against placing weighted blankets, garments or other heavy sleep devices on or near a sleeping infant. Cook Children’s neonatologists, specializing in newborns, also have concerns about the safety of those items.

Neonatologists Chanda Simpson, M.D., and Bernadette White, M.D., say pressure on a baby’s chest puts stress on the lungs and heart. That’s because the added weight could impede the up-and-down movement of the diaphragm muscle working to inhale and exhale. Breathing interference can result in lower oxygen saturation in the bloodstream, elevated heart rate, and difficulty waking up to eat. Safe Sleep

Dr. Simpson, Associate Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children’s, wants parents to be aware of possible short- and long-term risks for infants in weighted sleep sacks.

“Oxygen is important for the brain and development,” Dr. Simpson said. “Let’s extrapolate this down the line. What effects could this have on your baby?”

“I worry about anything that compresses the ribcage,” Dr. White said. “Babies’ bones and muscles are not fully developed, and I worry prolonged use could lead to chest wall deformities, the long-term complications of which could be significant.”

According to reports in April 2024, Amazon, Target and Walmart have stopped selling weighted sleep sacks. But they’re still for sale by the manufacturers. Those companies promote the weighted sleep sacks as a gentle pressure stimulation that mimics human touch and helps babies sleep soundly.

Dr. White points out that infants need to eat every two to three hours so they can grow and thrive. A weighted sleep sack could make it harder for a baby to wake up often enough for feedings, she said.

Dr. White has three children of her own, and she understands why parents want a good night’s sleep – for their baby and for themselves. But she cautions against buying a weighted sleep sack just because of positive website reviews. Customer satisfaction isn’t proof the product is safe, she said. Safe sleeping spaces

The AAP’s advisory was included in a report of recommendations to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths. Every year in the United States, about 3,500 babies die unexpectedly during sleep. In the first six months of 2024, six sleep-related deaths were recorded at Cook Children’s.

It isn’t safe for anyone to sleep in the same bed with babies at night or even for quick naps on the couch. A baby might fall, be strangled, or suffocate if loose sheets, a blanket or another person’s body accidentally covers the baby’s face and blocks the airway.

Cook Children’s wants parents to know the safest way for babies to sleep:

Wearing a sleep sack (not weighted)
On their back
On a firm surface with a tight-fitted sheet
In a crib, bassinet or pack ‘n play with no pillows, blankets, bumper pads or toys in the space
Alone (not co-sleeping with an adult or siblings)

Further Concerns

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health (NIH) also speak out against weighted sleep garments. In addition to the risk of impaired breathing, the NIH cites possible risks that babies might overheat or get stuck on their stomach if they roll over in weighted sleepwear.

“There is not enough evidence that weighted blankets and swaddles are safe to use for babies,” according to the NIH. “Based on what we know about infant health, SIDS, and sleep-related infant deaths, weighted blankets and swaddles could cause harm.”

The topic needs further study, the NIH says, adding that the suggested benefits of babies’ weighted sleepwear are unproven.

Instead of weighted sleep sacks, what are some safe ways to soothe an infant into slumber? Good options include a pacifier, singing a lullaby and patting their back.

Spreading the Word

The Safe Baby Sleep Council, led by Cook Children’s, last fiscal year distributed 3,540 sleep sacks to families. Council members also provide safe sleep education at area events such as Fort Worth’s Mayfest. The council has partnered with the City of Fort Worth for public service announcements on city buses and benches.

Jennifer Gadnai, MBA, BSN, RN serves as co-chairman. She shares the importance of appropriate sleep sacks when she meets caregivers in the community or in the Cook Children’s Emergency Department.

Gadnai also urges parents to watch for used unsafe items that might be handed down or resold. Products such as the recalled Rock ‘N Play sleepers and cribs with dropdown sides don’t meet updated safety standards.

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