Blankets and pillows have long been recognized as risk factors for Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUIDs)—a broad category that includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths such as accidental suffocation or strangulation. Now, nursing pillows, a common item in many households, are under scrutiny.
A newly published report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has found that nursing pillows were present in 84 of nearly 1,700 SUID cases—roughly 5%—reviewed from 2013 to 2022 in Georgia. The data reflect a troubling trend: infant deaths linked to accidental suffocation or strangulation have steadily increased in the state since 2011.
Until recently, nursing pillows were exempt from the federal ban on infant pillows. But as of April 2025, newly manufactured nursing pillows in the U.S. must now carry warning labels indicating their potential hazard if used in sleep environments.
Despite guidance from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nursing pillow manufacturers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—all of whom emphasize that these products are strictly intended for supervised feeding—many parents still mistakenly use them during sleep, often influenced by unclear marketing messages.
The CDC researchers emphasized that stronger education and clearer labeling are urgently needed. Misuse of nursing pillows continues to contribute to SUIDs, a preventable tragedy that remains a leading cause of infant death in the United States.
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Source: JAMA Network