Weighted infant sleepwear could pose a risk to babies, critics warn : NPR

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Newborns sleep for just a few hours at a time, which is why new parents are notoriously tired. Among the products that claim to help babies sleep more soundly is a relative newcomer, weighted infant sleepwear. It's like weighted blankets for adults, only it's made for babies. But there's little data showing whether weighted infant sleepwear is safe. And some critics say it could be dangerous. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports.

JOE HERNANDEZ, BYLINE: When Manasi Gangan had her second son, he would only fall asleep when she had her hand on his chest. That's what gave her the idea for Nested Bean. Her company sells infant swaddles and sleep sacks with one or two ounces of added weight on the chest meant to mimic the feel of a parent's touch.

MANASI GANGAN: Our mission is to help babies sleep better and parents to not be as overwhelmed in this process of new parenting.

HERNANDEZ: But doctors and product safety experts say, though they're available to buy, weighted infant sleepwear may actually be risky to young babies.

RACHEL MOON: We do recommend swaddling. We do recommend pacifiers. We recommend rocking and shushing.

HERNANDEZ: That's Dr. Rachel Moon, a pediatrician at the University of Virginia.

MOON: So there are a lot of things that you can do, but please don't use a weighted blanket or swaddle.

HERNANDEZ: The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's aware of at least one death involving a weighted infant sleep product. Last year Moon led a task force at the American Academy of Pediatrics that came out against weighted sleepwear for infants. For one, experts say because the bodies of newborns are still developing, the added weight could make it hard for them to breathe, pump blood and move around. Moon also says babies are supposed to wake up every few hours when they're very young and shouldn't sleep too deeply.

MOON: So anything that keeps a baby sleeping longer, makes it harder for them to wake up is problematic.

HERNANDEZ: There's also been very little research into the safety of these products. One study using weighted blankets in a NICU didn't cause any adverse events to the babies. But it was only 16 children for 30-minute sessions, and they were observed the whole time. Nested Bean conducted its own research study. Those sessions were only two minutes and showed baby's oxygen levels dropping as the weight was increased. Gangan notes, though, that oxygen levels at the lower weight, around what her company uses in its products, barely changed during the study.

GANGAN: Our products are helping a lot of babies and parents, and those who have used it swear by our products.

HERNANDEZ: Another leading company selling weighted infant sleepwear is Dreamland Baby. They sell sleep sacks for babies 15 pounds and up with 1.5 pounds of added weight. For smaller babies eight pounds and up, the added weight is about half as much. In a statement, a Dreamland Baby spokesperson said it sold half a million sleep sacks since 2019 with no reported adverse events. Michelle Barry, who founded the nonprofit Safe Infant Sleep, says she understands why exhausted parents seek out products to help the whole family sleep better.

MICHELLE BARRY: If sleep wasn't so hard when it came to babies, you know, we wouldn't be having these issues.

HERNANDEZ: But she notes that right now weighted infant sleepwear is unregulated. There's no national standard dictating whether infant sleepwear should be weighted or how much weight should be used. But those products remain on the market.

BARRY: It's great that we have so many options, but at the same time, it's also worrisome.

HERNANDEZ: There's an effort currently underway to develop a voluntary standard for all infant sleepwear, including weighted products. For now, though, the decision whether to use weighted infant sleepwear is up to parents and caregivers. Joe Hernandez, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRIAN CRAIN'S "BRAHMS' LULLABY")

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Weighted infant sleepwear could pose a risk to babies, critics warn : NPR