Authorities Warn Against Using These Infant Flotation Rings; Child Death Reported

Authorities are urging parents not to use certain infant flotation rings, as they may pose drowning hazards. One infant has died, while another has been "seriously injured."

The problem with the Otteroo LUMI and MINI infant flotation rings is that they may deflate while being used or in storage, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) noted in an announcement. This means a child using any of these products can end up sliding out of the flotation ring and going into the water.

There have reportedly been 68 instances of infants slipping through a partially deflated Otteroo flotation ring who have had to be rescued by their caregivers. Unfortunately, there was also one report of a 6-month-old infant drowning to death in Maine in 2020. Another incident, also in 2020, led to "serious injuries" in a 3-month-old in New York.

Customers are being advised not to buy or use the flotation rings and not to donate or resell the items "so other infants are not put in danger by the hazard." The products were sold via the company's website and previously on Zulaily.com and Amazon.com.

"The Commission has found that the public health and safety requires this notice to warn the public quickly of the hazard," the agency noted. "Otteroo has refused to agree to CPSC's request for an acceptable recall."

The company, according to CPSC, noted that the products include various safety instructions to ensure safe use, as well as warnings that they should be used "under close and constant adult supervision." In addition, they reportedly remind that caregivers should check for air leaks before using the products.

"The firm states that while it is deeply saddened by the two events mentioned in the press release, it appears that in both incidents, the infants were left alone in the bath for an extended period of time," the CPSC noted. "The firm states that furthermore, there are inconsistencies and limited evidence concerning whether Otteroo neck floats were directly responsible."

Earlier in the year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also released a warning for parents, caregivers and health care providers not to use baby neck floats for water therapy interventions, particularly for infants with developmental conditions, noting that using them may lead to "death or serious injury."

In response, Otteroo provided the agency with "supporting materials" in an appeal and again urged caregivers to "stay within arms length" of their children if they are near a body of water, "neck float or not."

In a statement, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka said that the agency is still looking at additional incidents to "assess Otteroo's role."

"New parents are bombarded with advertising claiming that baby products of all kinds will make their lives easier and keep their babies safe," Trumka said. "Parents should know that CPSC does not evaluate those claims, which are often misleading. Neck-floaties for babies are not recommended for water therapy, and are especially dangerous for babies with special needs."