Health Canada advises parents to stop using hammock bed for babies

OTTAWA – Health Canada issued on Tuesday an urgent advisory to parents to immediately stop using Amby Baby Motion Beds after two infants in the United States recently suffocated in the hammock.

The products "should be disassembled and disposed of in such a way that they cannot be used again," Health Canada said in a statement

The inclined sleeping surface of the hammock, advertised for use with infants up to 12 months of age and sold through the company’s website – ambybaby.ca – increases the risk of the infant rolling and becoming wedged in a position where they can no longer breathe.

Health Canada also says the design of the Amby Baby Motion Beds’ sleeping surface is unstable as all support points are connected through a single joint above the hammock.

"The resulting range of motion of the sleeping surface, the inclined angle of the sleeping surface and any motion of the baby on the sleeping surface can contribute to changes in the centre of gravity of the hammock. This can lead to possible entrapment in a corner or side of the product."

Health Canada is not aware of any incidents in Canada, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday revealed a four-month old girl from Georgia suffocated in the bed in June. Two months later, a five-month old boy from Oregon died.

There have also been three other incidents reported in the U.S., according to the commission. One of these incidents resulted in an injury from metal fragments falling into the infant’s eye. The other two incidents did not result in injury.

Amby Baby USA, based Minneapolis, Minn, has been promoting its product for parents of fussy babies.

"Finally, a solution for your fussy baby! The Amby Baby Motion Bed helps babies and parents get the sleep they need with its womblike design and gentle motion that babies love. Endorsed by Dr. Sears, the Amby Baby beds are specially helpful for babies with reflux, colic and even preemies," according to its website.