Parents are being warned not to use the DockATot after several babies suffocated to death.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting DockATot Deluxe+ induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your baby was injured, suffocated or died in a DockATot, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the DockATot?
The DockATot is a popular baby lounging pad that is manufactured by Wildchild Stockholm Inc. The DockATot looks like a mat with a flat center, and soft round pillows around the sides.
Is the DockATot Safe for Babies to Sleep In?
No. Babies can suffocate to death in the sides of the DockATot. Even babies who are swaddled, or too young to roll over, can still suffocate in a DockATot if they manage to get their face pressed against the fabric.
Suffocation can occur when the baby turns their head to one side, twists their body and gets stuck, or manages to roll over from their back to their stomach or onto their side. It only takes a few minutes for babies to suffocate and die, or suffer irreversible brain damage due to asphyxia (lack of oxygen).
The risk of suffocation and death is even greater when the DockATot is used inappropriately (for example, as a co-sleeper in a bed, in a Pack ‘n Play, crib, on a couch, or other surface).
DockATot Poses Deadly Suffocation Risk, Safety Officials Warn
In November 2022, safety officials warned parents to immediately stop using the DockATot Deluxe+ Baby Lounger after babies suffocated to death.
According to Richard Trumka, Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): “It is unsafe for your baby to sleep in a DockATot Deluxe+; immediately discontinue its use. There are publicly available reports of infant deaths associated with the product.”
What Happened?
There have been multiple reports of babies who suffocated to death and were found unresponsive in a DockATot. Those reports include:
- 6-month old girl who suffocated to death (she was swaddled and the DockATot was placed on a hard surface)
- 2-month-old died after suffocating when the DockATot was used inside a Pack ‘n Play
- 1-month old boy who suffocated to death (no other details provided)
DockATot Violates New Rules for Infant Sleep Products
New federal rules on infant sleep products went into effect in early 2022. The Infant Sleep Product Rule makes it illegal to sell any DockATot that was manufactured on or after June 23, 2022 because it violates the rules for non-inclined infant sleep products.
What is the Problem?
The DockATot violates the rules for non-inclined infant sleep products because it does not have a stand, does not meet certain stability requirements, and does not have a side height of at least 7.5 inches.
The CPSC warned the DockATot manufacturer (and the makers of dozens of similar products) about the new rules. As a result, many unsafe baby products were immediately taken off the market and cannot be sold.
These products include baby boxes, baby nests and pods, compact/travel bassinets, and infant tents.
New Safety Rules Also Ban Inclined Sleepers
The new rules will also ban inclined sleepers with angles greater than 10º due to the risk of suffocation and death.
One of the most notorious inclined sleepers was the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play, which was not recalled until dozens of deaths were reported.
Millions of similar inclined sleeping products have been recalled voluntarily, but despite the deadly risk to infants, some products remained on the market until Congress approved a stricter safety standard.
Do I have a DockATot Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting DockATot Deluxe+ induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your baby was injured, suffocated or died in a DockATot, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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