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Infant sleep products blamed in the deaths of more than 200 babies in the U.S. will soon be outlawed. President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law legislation that prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers blamed for more than 200 infant deaths, the White House announced. Consumer advocates applauded the development, but noted that manufacturers and retailers have 180 days to comply, leaving additional time for the products to inflict more heartache.  (Gibson, 5/16)

The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 (H.R. 3182), signed into law on Monday, prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers for infants. ... According to the legislation, crib bumpers are defined as "padded materials inserted around the inside of a crib and intended to prevent the crib occupant from becoming trapped in any part of the crib's openings; they do not include unpadded, mesh crib liners." (Slater, 5/16)

It’s a well-known strategy for modern, frazzled parents with a tired, wailing baby: Strap her into a car seat and take her for a drive, letting the soft rocking motion of the car and the purr of the engine lull her to sleep for the rest of the night. But the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, a new federal law signed Monday by President Joe Biden, could spark parents’ questions about whether it’s considered dangerous to use this trick or to otherwise let their babies nap while driving them around to do errands or on road or plane trips. ... According to [Dr. Rachel Moon, chair of the AAP Task Force on Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome (SIDS)] and other experts, it’s “fine” if babies fall asleep in car seats and strollers — but in a limited, supervised way and not as a substitution for a crib, bassinet, co-sleeper or play yard, which the AAP said are considered safe for sleep. (Ross, 5/16)

Erika Richter's 2-week-old daughter, Emma, died while using a Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleeper, a type of inclined sleeper that would be banned under the new legislation. "For this bill to be passed, it's a huge win, and for it to have bipartisan support just highlights that this change was long overdue and undeniably necessary," Richter, of Portland, Oregon, told "Good Morning America." (Kindelan, 5/16)

Millions of Rock 'n Play Sleepers remain in homes even though the product has been recalled for years, according to Consumer Reports, and there have been eight infant deaths and 17 injuries related to this product that occurred after the recall in April 2019. (Kerr, 5/3)