2 Infant Deaths Lead to Baby Bed Recall

Two infant deaths have led to the recall of about 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds - hammock-like beds marketed to parents of fussy babies with colic or reflux.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday that the side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause an infant to roll and become trapped or wedged against the hammock's fabric or mattress pad, posing a suffocation risk to babies.

Two infants suffocated this summer - a four-month old in Georgia and a 5-month-old in Oregon.

The beds, made by Amby Baby USA of Minneapolis, look somewhat like a baby swing, but have mesh and fabric sides, resembling a hammock. The bed, or hammock, hangs from a spring and every time the baby moves or stirs in his sleep, the bed gently moves up and down, back and forth, or side to side. The idea is to mimic the motion of a baby in the womb.

The bed is recommended for babies ranging from newborn to 9 months old.

CPSC says there is only one model of the hammock available. It has a label sewn onto it that says, "Amby - Babies Love It, Naturally." The beds were sold online, through Ambybaby.com and other Internet retailers dating back to 2003. They cost about $250.

Consumers are urged to immediately stop using the motion beds and find a safe place for baby to sleep.

On its Web site, Amby says it plans to offer a free repair kit as soon as possible, "but not earlier than January 2010."

Consumers with questions can call 866-544-9721.