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cpsc.gov

CPSC Bare Is Best / infant sleep product warnings

Also: #BareIsBest · Inclined sleeper recalls · Infant sleep positioner warning

“Bare is best”

CPSC's recurring Baby Safety Month (September) message that a crib, bassinet or play yard should hold nothing but a fitted sheet, plus warnings against bumpers, positioners and inclined products. FDA, CPSC and CDC warned in 2010-2012 about sleep positioners sold with SIDS-prevention claims; CPSC recalled inclined sleepers in 2019 and re-announced recalls in 2023.

Years
2015–now
Country
United States
Topic
Infant sleep
Asks people to
Stop
Strategy
Simple instructionWarning label
Channel
Point of saleWebsite
Audience
Parents
Parents, caregivers, retailers

Evidence

ObservationalMixed

158 SUIDs occurred in inclined sleepers 2009-2023, 50 of them after the 2019 recall, so recall messages did not reach all homes. 13 positioner deaths over 13 years prompted the federal warning. Most nursery-product deaths involve extra bedding (CPSC reports).

Sponsor (who paid)

  • US Consumer Product Safety Commission Federal government
  • US Food and Drug Administration (positioner warning) Federal government

Credits (who made it)

Not recorded yet.

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. CPSC urges parents to check baby's sleep space during Baby Safety Month (2023) sponsor · 2023
  2. Mintz S, Collier A. SUID in inclined sleepers: 2009-2023. Pediatrics 2026 evaluation · 2026 · DOI 10.1542/peds.2025-073544 · PMID 41724190
  3. Suffocation deaths associated with use of infant sleep positioners, United States 1997-2011. MMWR 2012 evaluation · 2012 · PMID 23169313

Research notes

Created 2026-10-23 from the sleep campaign literature search (PubMed and web search; OpenAlex was unreachable), see docs/sleep-campaigns-literature.md. Findings are paraphrased from abstracts, not full texts; official URLs come from search results and were not opened. 2015 start of #BareIsBest hashtag per search summary citing Kids in Danger (https://kidsindanger.org/2015/09/lets-take-some-big-steps-for-safety-this-month); verify. URL seen in WebSearch results;

Record cases/cpsc-bare-is-best.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign