CPSC Publishes Final Rules for Nursing Pillows

Registration and Certification

In 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – Further to its 1992 “Infant Pillow Ban” (16 CFR 1500.18(a)(16)) on certain types of hazardous “infant pillows” that contain loose filled granular materials that conform to an infant's face or body – issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) under section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), for a mandatory consumer product safety standard for nursing pillows (including certain nursing pillows that are exempt from the Infant Pillow Ban, while others, such as pillows with a non-granular fill), to address risks of death and injury associated with these products.

Final Rule for Nursing Pillows

Now in the Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 207 (25 October 2024), CPSC is issuing this final rule establishing a consumer product safety standard for nursing pillows. This final rule is codified as “16 CFR Parts 1112, 1130, and 1242 [CPSC Docket No. 2023–0037] Safety Standard for Nursing Pillows”.

CPSC is also amending its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies, to include the safety standard for nursing pillows in the list of notices of requirements (NORs), along with identifying nursing pillows as a durable infant or toddler product subject to consumer registration requirements.

ASTM F3669-24

This CPSC mandatory standard makes references to ASTM F3669-24 “Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Nursing Pillows” regarding general and performance requirements, etc. 

However, there are also portions of the CPSC standard more stringent than the ASTM voluntary standard, as these requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the use of nursing pillows.

Effective Date

This rule will become effective 23 April 2025.

References

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-10-25/pdf/2024-24403.pdf