Woman in USA Sues Baby Bjorn

Claims that the baby carriers cause hip injuries in children.


The Swedish company Baby Bjorn, which has become world famous for its baby carriers, has been sued in a court in California. According to the woman behind the lawsuit, the company's baby carrier has caused serious hip problems on her children and now she is demanding extensive damages. "We believe that there is no basis for this atmosphere", says Baby Bjorn's communications manager Annika Sander Lofmark. The Swedish invention with baby carriers for young children has become a worldwide success since the product was launched in the 1970s. Baby Bjorn is present in 50 countries and had sales of SEK 821 million last year, the group has companies in several countries - including the USA, Canada and China.

A long line of famous movie stars have been seen carrying around their children in a harness from the Swedish company.

In a California court , an American woman now claims that her child was seriously injured in the hip by being carried in a Baby Bear. The lawsuit was filed already in May last year, but only last week were the Swedish owner companies notified by the County Administrative Board in Stockholm, which is responsible for international service.

 Baby Bjorn has received a lawsuit in the US where it is claimed that the use of Baby Bjorn's Baby Carrier Original in 2012, has caused hip dysplasia. Other companies in the USA, which manufacture baby carriers, have also received similar lawsuits, says Baby Bjorn's communications manager Annika Sander Lofmark in a comment.

The current model, Orginal, is no longer manufactured. According to Annika Sander Lofmark, this is not due to any shortcomings.  It has nothing to do with it, but we further develop and improve products all the time, so it has been replaced by another product of the same design but with a little more flexibility. The mother's lawyer Lori E Andrus from San Francisco specializes in consumer law and class action. DN has sought the lawyer who declined an interview and refers to the lawsuit.

In the submission to the court, the lawyer demands, among other things, damages and compensation for suffering and costs for medical care and lost earnings in the future. No specific sums are mentioned more than that the requirements exceed the equivalent of SEK 630,000.

The lawsuit claims that the current model of baby carrier does not provide sufficient support for the hip of the child and that it caused the injuries.

"The plaintiff has undergone three surgical procedures and spent months with his whole body in plaster," it says.

Annika Sander Lofmark says that child safety products are a"very regulated" market and that all products they sell live up to the safety requirements, standards and norms that exist.

This is the first time that the company has been sued for alleged problems with the baby carrier, but Annika Sander Lofmark says that there have been rumors for a long time.

There has been a concern and also a rumor that baby carriers could cause hip dysplasia, and therefore a pediatric orthopedist in Spain has conducted an ultrasound study on children's hips in various baby carriers. It shows that Baby Bjorn's baby carrier originally offers a good angle for the hips and thus a good position for the child, she says.Child safety is a must for us, that is our business idea. It is the most important thing that exists that the products should be safe and that parents should feel safe, she says.

The lawyer demands in the lawsuit that the trial take place before a jury in a court in California. What the next step in the process will be is unclear. We have no information about when there will be any interrogations or so, we are waiting, says Annika Sander Lofmark.

The now 85-year-old founder of Baby Bjorn, Bjorn Jakobson, received a medal from the king in 2012 for significant contributions to Swedish business, in 2018 he spoke in "Summer in Pl".
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