CDC Report Highlights Role of Nursing Pillows in Sudden Unexplained Infant Deaths

Federal health officials put new safety regulations in place last year, as part of an attempt to reduce the number of SUIDS cases from nursing pillows.

A new federal report warns that nursing pillows turn cribs and beds into hazardous sleeping areas, contributing to dozens of sudden, but preventable, infant deaths in recent years.

According to findings published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on May 29, the majority of sudden unexplained infant death syndrome (SUIDS) cases involve instances where a baby shared a bed with an adult, also known as co-sleeping. However, many of these co-sleeping deaths also involved the use of nursing pillows.

Nursing Pillow Safety Concerns

Nursing pillows are large donut-shaped pillows used to support infants during feeding, either by being wrapped around the parent or placed on the lap.

Although not intended for sleep, nursing pillows have been linked to dangerous sleep environments. Federal regulators have long warned that babies can roll into or become trapped under these cushions, posing suffocation risks. Despite these concerns, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a 2008 exemption that allowed nursing pillows to bypass stricter safety regulations applied to infant sleep products.

However, between 2010 and 2022, nearly 80 infant deaths and 124 injuries were associated with nursing pillow use, prompting renewed scrutiny. In response, the CPSC finalized new safety regulations in 2024 for all infant support cushions, including nursing pillows. These rules now require manufacturers to pass firmness and sidewall angle tests, limit the incline angle, and prohibit infant restraint attachments.

Additionally, all nursing pillows must carry warning labels highlighting the risk of infant death if misused, especially if used for sleeping.

For the recent study, CDC researchers analyzed Georgia county-level Child Death Review data from the Pediatric National Fatality Review Case Reporting System. The data indicated there were 1,685 SUIDs in Georgia from 2013 to 2022.

According to the data, 99% of SUIDs involved some form of bed-sharing, and more than half involved an infant sleeping in an adult bed. However, 84 cases, or about 5%, involved nursing pillows. Of those, 86% were among children younger than four months old, with about 40% younger than two months old.

The findings would suggest that the number of nursing pillow infant deaths, 84 in one state, is significantly higher than the CPSC’s original estimates.

Researchers said most infants, nearly 70%, were found on top of the nursing pillow. In 17% of cases the infant was next to the pillow. In 2% of cases, the infant was under the pillow, and in 1% of cases, the pillow was tangled around the infant.

The data suggests some caregivers may be using the pillows as props or bumpers during sleep, which is extremely hazardous, CDC researchers warned.

“This analysis indicates that nursing pillows are being used in ways other than their intended use as an aid in feeding,” they determined.

SUIDS often occurs among infants who sleep in spaces that may be unsafe for them. In past years, officials referred to the condition as SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. Risk factors for SUIDS can include co-sleeping with adults, sleeping with fluffy pillows or blankets, or sleeping in a crib with cloth bumpers.

CDC researchers recommended all new infant cushions should carry warnings about the risks they pose to infants, especially nursing pillows and other soft items that may be harmful. While that is mandated under the new CPSC rules, many manufacturers have yet to comply.

The research team also called out for continued education and outreach to caregivers about safe infant sleeping environments.