Infant Deaths in Car Safety Seats and Strollers

Sleep-related death is the leading case of postneonatal infant mortality. In 2016 the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its recommendations for creating a safe infant sleep environment. Recently, there have been reports of infant deaths in sitting devices (e.g., car safety seats, strollers, bouncers) that are intended for transportation, feeding, or play. Using data from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention from 2004 to 2014, researchers studied the circumstances associated with infant death in sitting devices.

Of 11,779 sleep-related infant deaths reported, 3% occurred in sitting devices. Of these, 63% occurred in car seats, 35% in bouncers, swings, and other sitting devices, and 2% in strollers. The sitting device wa…