WARNING LETTER
Happiest Baby, Inc.
MARCS-CMS 718306 —
June 15, 2026
Delivery Method:
VIA Electronic Mail
Product:
Medical Devices
Recipient:
Recipient Name
Dr. Harvey Karp
Recipient Title
Chief Executive Officer
Happiest Baby, Inc.
11390 W. Olympic Blvd. Ste. 450
Los Angeles
,
CA
90064
United States
(b)(4)
Issuing Office:
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
United States
WARNING LETTER
CMS #718306
June 15, 2026
Dear Dr. Karp:
During an inspection of your firm located in Los Angeles, CA from July 21, 2025 through July 25, 2025, investigators from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that your firm manufactures the SNOO Smart Sleeper and the SNOO Hospital Bundle. Under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), these products are devices because they are intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body.
We received responses from Dr. Harvey Karp, CEO, dated August 15, 2025, and February 26, 2026, concerning the observations and discussion items from the inspection.
Unapproved Device Violations
Our inspection and review of your website and marketing materials revealed that the SNOO Smart Sleeper and the SNOO Hospital Bundle are adulterated under section 501(f)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(f)(1), and misbranded under section 502(o) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o). The SNOO Smart Sleeper and SNOO Hospital Bundle are adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(f)(1)(B), because your firm does not have an approved application for premarket approval (PMA) in effect pursuant to section 515(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360e(a), or an approved application for an investigational device exemption (IDE) under section 520(g) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360j(g), for the devices as described and marketed. The SNOO Smart Sleeper and SNOO Hospital Bundle are also misbranded under section 502(o) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o), because your firm introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce for commercial distribution these devices without submitting to FDA a notice or other information respecting the significant changes or modifications that your firm made to the devices, as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k), and 21 CFR 807.81(a)(3).
The SNOO Smart Sleeper was authorized under DEN210039 with the following indications:
“The SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet plus the SNOO Sleep Sack are jointly intended to facilitate a supine position during sleep. Infants who are placed in a supine sleep position are at lower risk of SIDS/SUID. The device is intended for home use by caregivers of infants from birth to 6 months of age, who are not yet able to roll over consistently.”
In addition, the Device Description section of FDA’s Decision Summary for DEN210039 specifies the following:
“The SNOO Sleep Sack is a cotton swaddle with fixed wings made of woven cotton fabric that extend to the right and left of the infant's body. Three sizes of sleep sacks (small 5-12 lbs, medium 12-18 lbs, and large 18-25 lbs) are provided with each bassinet to accommodate the growing baby.”
However, there is evidence that your firm has significantly changed or modified the SNOO Smart Sleeper by introducing two new sizes of sleep sacks, as described in more detail below.
1. X-Small Sleep Sack
Our inspection and review of your firm’s website, https://www.happiestbaby.com (last reviewed on May 7, 2026), revealed that your firm is currently distributing an X-Small Sleep Sack for infants 4-8 lbs.
1
When FDA granted your De Novo request, it authorized use of the SNOO bassinet with three sizes of sleep sacks (Small 5-12 lbs, Medium 12-18 lbs, and Large 18-25 lbs). Your new X-Small Sleep Sack has smaller dimensions than any of the sleep sacks that FDA reviewed as part of your De Novo request and your firm is marketing it for infants who weigh as little as 4 lbs.
We have considered your August 15, 2025, and February 26, 2026, responses. In your responses, you presented arguments for why you believe the X-Small Sleep Sack does not require a new 510(k) submission. However, based on our current assessment, a premarket submission was required before introducing the X-Small Sleep Sack into interstate commerce for commercial distribution.
Your firm’s introduction of the X-Small Sleep Sack constitutes a change or modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the SNOO Smart Sleeper device.
See
21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(i). The Small Sleep Sack that FDA reviewed as part of your De Novo request is 49 cm long and 23 cm wide at the chest. In contrast, the X-Small Sleep Sack is only 44 cm long and 21 cm wide at the chest—5 cm shorter in length and 2 cm narrower at the chest. These dimensional changes result in significantly increased existing risks.
Specifically, the X-Small Sleep Sack’s smaller dimensions pose an increased risk when used on a 5-8 lbs infant who would otherwise be placed in the Small Sleep Sack, as the X-Small Sleep Sack may be too small for an infant of that size. The shorter length of the X-Small Sleep Sack and the narrower chest width create less space around the infant. Together, these changes increase the risk that the X-Small Sleep Sack could be too tight on the infant and compress vital organs, limit diaphragmatic movement, and result in respiratory compromise. For these reasons, your firm’s introduction of the X-Small Sleep Sack results in a significant change to the device’s existing risk profile and constitutes a change or modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device. Indeed, it appears that your firm’s introduction of the X-Small Sleep Sack was done with the intent to significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device because your firm first started distributing the X-Small Sleep Sack as part of a beta program in response to reports from customers who expressed concern that the Small Sleep Sack was too large on their infants.
The introduction of the X-Small Sleep Sack also constitutes a major change or modification in the intended use of the device. See 21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(ii). As discussed above, when FDA granted your De Novo request, it authorized use of the SNOO bassinet with three sizes of sleep sacks (small 5-12 lbs, medium 12-18 lbs, and large 18-25 lbs). Your firm is now marketing the new X-Small Sleep Sack for infants who are 4-8 lbs, a lower birthweight range that encompasses a greater proportion of preterm infants. The introduction of a new sleep sack for infants in this birthweight range, to include infants who are only 4 lbs, constitutes a change in the intended patient population for the device. This change in the intended patient population leads to a significant change in the device’s existing risk profile because lower birthweight/preterm infants are at an increased risk of SIDS/SUID.
2
FDA would expect to review additional data in a premarket submission to evaluate the impact of these changes. Accordingly, a premarket submission was required before introducing X-Small Sleep Sack into interstate commerce for commercial distribution.
2. X-Large Sleep Sack
Our inspection and review of your firm’s website, https://www.happiestbaby.com (last reviewed on May 7, 2026), revealed that your firm is currently distributing an X-Large Sleep Sack for infants 23-25 lbs.
3
When FDA granted your De Novo request, it authorized use of the SNOO bassinet with three sizes of sleep sacks (small 5-12 lbs, medium 12-18 lbs, and large 18-25 lbs). Your new X-Large Sleep Sack has larger dimensions than any of the sleep sacks that FDA reviewed as part of your De Novo request.
We have considered your August 15, 2025, and February 26, 2026, responses. In your responses, you presented arguments for why you believe the X-Large Sleep Sack does not require a new 510(k) submission. However, based on our current assessment, a premarket submission was required before introducing X-Large Sleep Sack into interstate commerce for commercial distribution.
Your firm’s introduction of the X-Large Sleep Sack constitutes a change or modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the SNOO Smart Sleeper device.
See
21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(i). The Large Sleep Sack that FDA reviewed as part of your De Novo request is 61 cm long and is 28 cm wide at the chest. In contrast, the X-Large Sleep Sack is 68 cm long and is 29 cm wide at the chest—7 cm longer and 1 cm wider at the chest. These dimensional changes result in significantly increased existing risks.
Specifically, the X-Large Sleep Sack’s larger dimensions pose an increased risk when used on a 23-25 lbs infant who would otherwise be placed in a Large Sleep Sack, as the X-Large Sleep Sack may be too large for an infant of that size. The increased length of the X-Large Sleep Sack introduces extra fabric, and the increased chest width creates additional space around the infant. Together, these changes increase the risk that the X-Large Sleep Sack could ride up and cover the infant’s mouth or neck, which could result in respiratory compromise, suffocation, or death. Moreover, the larger size of the X-Large Sleep Sack may make it easier for an infant to break free from the Sleep Sack and assume an unsafe position within the bassinet. FDA would expect to review additional data in a premarket submission to evaluate the impact of these changes. Accordingly, a premarket submission was required before introducing the X-Large Sleep Sack into interstate commerce for commercial distribution.
SNOO Hospital Bundle
The SNOO Smart Sleeper, which your firm also refers to as the “SNOO,” was authorized under DEN210039 with the following indications:
“The SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet plus the SNOO Sleep Sack are jointly intended to facilitate a supine position during sleep. Infants who are placed in a supine sleep position are at lower risk of SIDS/SUID. The device is intended for home use by caregivers of infants from birth to 6 months of age, who are not yet able to roll over consistently.”
However, our inspection and review of your firm’s website, https://health.happiestbaby.com (last reviewed on May 7, 2026), revealed that your firm is now marketing the SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet for use in clinical settings as part of the SNOO Hospital Bundle. The SNOO Hospital Bundle includes a SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet, a SNOO mobility cart, a reusable sealed mattress, one reusable bassinet mesh cover, three SNOO sleep sacks, four additional SNOO sleep sacks, six fitted cotton mattress sheets, and ten disposable mesh/mattress cover sets.
Marketing the SNOO Smart Sleeper for use in hospitals as part of the SNOO Hospital Bundle constitutes a major change or modification in the intended use of the device.
See
21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(ii). When FDA granted your firm’s De Novo request for the SNOO Smart Sleeper under DEN210039, it authorized it “for home use by caregivers,” not as a device intended for hospital use. The change from home use to hospital use, including in NICU settings, fundamentally alters the intended environment for the device as well as its user population. Hospital environments differ substantially from home environments and present unique challenges. For example, use of the SNOO Hospital Bundle may require different levels of cleaning and infection control protocols. Products utilized in the hospital are generally reprocessed using hospital grade cleaners and disinfectants. Use of these products may cause degradation of the bassinet or other components of the device that could result in crazing, cracking, or deterioration of the device, which may lead to inappropriate or inadequate securement and may also make it more difficult to adequately clean and disinfect the device. Additionally, the infant population in hospitals may include patients with medical conditions or complications not contemplated in the home-use authorization.
4
Marketing the SNOO Smart Sleeper as part of the SNOO Hospital Bundle also constitutes a change or modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device.
See
21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(i). For example, the addition of a mobility cart introduces new risks not evaluated in FDA’s original authorization of the SNOO Smart Sleeper. The device that FDA authorized under DEN210039 has a fixed base designed for stationary use. Introducing a wheeled mobility cart creates new risks of tipping, rolling, or instability during transport, which could result in infant harm. In addition, the mobility cart relies on wheel locks to prevent unintended movement, and the failure of these mechanisms could result in the cart rolling while an infant is in the bassinet, potentially causing the cart to collide with other objects or tip over. For all these reasons, your firm’s distribution of the SNOO as part of the SNOO Hospital Bundle leads to a significant change in the device’s risk profile and constitutes a change or modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device. FDA would expect to review additional data in a premarket submission to evaluate the impact of these changes.
We have considered your August 15, 2025 and February 26, 2026 responses. In your responses, you presented arguments for why you believe the SNOO, when used in the hospital, is not a medical device because the product is marketed “exclusively as a soothing tool to calm infant fussing, improve sleep, and reduce caregiver stress and workload.” However, based on our current assessment, the SNOO Hospital Bundle is a device, and a premarket submission was required before introducing it into interstate commerce for commercial distribution.
An article's intended use is based on the objective intent of the persons legally responsible for its labeling, and may be shown by the person's expressions, the design or composition of the article, or the circumstances surrounding its distribution (21 CFR 801.4). Based on FDA’s evaluation of the SNOO Hospital Bundle’s intended use, the product is intended to, among other things, facilitate a supine position during sleep, and is therefore a device under section 201(h) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), because it is intended for use in the diagnosis of a disease or other condition, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body. This understanding is based on, for example, your firm’s expressions about the device, and the design or composition of the device, as described in more detail below.
1.
Your firm’s expressions about the SNOO Hospital Bundle
Our review of your firm’s website for the SNOO Hospital Bundle, https://health.happiestbaby.com/ (last reviewed on May 7, 2026), revealed that your firm is currently marketing and distributing the SNOO Hospital Bundle to hospitals with claims that it keeps sleeping babies safely on their backs, an intended use very similar to the FDA-authorized intended use of the SNOO Smart Sleeper for home use.
5
Examples include:
“SNOO Sleep Sacks: These award-winning swaddle sacks safely secure babies on the back in the SNOO Smart Sleeper.” https://health.happiestbaby.com/pages/sales
“The pediatrician-designed SNOO Sleep Sack was created to keep babies safely in the supine position, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.” https://health.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-dpr-sack-white-small
“SNOO wings keep babies safely on the back…for all naps and nights.” https://health.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-dpr-sack-white-small
“How SNOO Helps: Models and facilitates following AAP ‘Safe Sleep’ guidelines” https://health.happiestbaby.com/
Your Hospital Marketing Materials, which your firm attached to your August 15, 2025, 483 response as Exhibit 17 provide additional evidence that the SNOO Hospital Bundle is intended to keep babies safely on their backs. Examples include:
The first page of Exhibit 17 is a document titled “Health Partnerships Program,” which includes the following statements:
o “SNOO’s secure Sleep Sack attaches to the bed’s safety clips to promote adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)’s Safe Sleep guidelines and prevent dangerous rolling in clinical and home settings.”
o “The anchored Sleep Sack keeps baby safely on back, modeling the AAP’s Safe Sleep guidelines.”
The third page of Exhibit 17 is a document titled “SNOO Smart Sleeper: Hospital & Home Aid,” which includes the following statements:
o “Babies have slept safer in SNOO for 600M hours.”
o “Secure swaddling: Anchored sleep sack models AAP guidelines.”
The fifth page of Exhibit 17 is a document titled “SNOO Smart Sleeper: Advancing Innovation in Newborn Care.” In this document, your firm created a side-by-side comparison of the SNOO Hospital Bundle with a standard hospital bassinet. Under an image of the SNOO Hospital Bundle, your firm states that it “
Keeps Baby Safely on Back
.” Your firm contrasts this with language under an image of a standard hospital bassinet that says, “
No secure swaddling
.”
2.
The design or composition of the SNOO Hospital Bundle
The SNOO Hospital Bundle is, by design, intended to facilitate a supine position during sleep. It includes the same sleep sacks and SNOO bassinet that FDA authorized under DEN210039. The sleep sacks are designed with wings on either side that attach to the bassinet’s safety clips to securely swaddle an infant in the supine position and prevent infant rolling. This design is not merely incidental; it is integral to the device's function.
For a device requiring premarket approval, the notification required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k), is deemed satisfied when a PMA is pending before the agency. 21 CFR 807.81(b). The kind of information that needs to be submitted in order to obtain authorization for your device is described at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/HowtoMarketYourDevice/default.htm. The FDA will evaluate any information that your firm submits and decide whether the product may be legally marketed.
Quality System Regulation Violations
Our inspection also revealed that these devices are adulterated within the meaning of section 501(h) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(h), in that the methods used in, or the facilities or controls used for, their manufacture, packing, storage, or installation are not in conformity with the current good manufacturing practice requirements of the Quality System regulation found at Title 21,
Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), Part 820.
We received responses from Dr. Harvey Karp, CEO, dated August 15, 2025, and February 26, 2026, concerning our investigators’ observations noted on the Form FDA 483 (FDA 483), List of Inspectional Observations, that was issued to your firm. We address your responses below, in relation to each of the noted violations. The violations found during the inspection include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Failure to adequately establish and maintain procedures for receiving, reviewing, and evaluating complaints by a formally designated unit, as required by 21 CFR 820.198(a). For example, your firm’s procedure, titled “SOP026 Complaint Handling,” Revision 6, dated 4/16/2025, assigns responsibilities and provides a system and instructions for receiving and processing customer complaints related to your devices. This procedure was not adequately established in that several different complaints were grouped together in your complaint system as one complaint, limiting the extent of the investigation to be conducted for each individual case. Specifically, during the inspection, 9 of 17 complaints reviewed revealed your firm’s practice of grouping multiple complaints and performing complaint handling activities under a single complaint such as complaint investigations and MDR determinations. For example:
a. In PER-000056, opened 04/04/2023, your firm grouped
(b)(4)
complaints related to customer reports of mold found on the SNOO Smart Sleeper mattresses and/or mattress covers months after beginning use of the SNOO. Your firm concluded that all complaints were related to user error despite some customers confirming they followed cleaning instructions. Your firm failed to adequately evaluate each individual complaint.
b. In PER-000060, opened 02/07/2024, your firm grouped
(b)(4)
complaints related to customer reports that the Small Sleep Sack was too big on infants, including Ticket #1033742 in which a customer reached out to your firm to express a safety concern that the “Sleep sack is riding up and seem[s] like it is choking baby.” Your firm performed an MDR determination on all
(b)(4)
complaints at once and determined that it was not a reportable event. Your firm’s investigation concluded that there was no product deficiency and that the most likely root cause was “the babies were too small” for the Small Sleep Sack despite customers confirming that their babies fell within the intended weight range specified for the Small Sleep Sack. Your firm failed to adequately evaluate each individual complaint. Instead, the “Investigation Detail” section of PER-00060 states that “all tickets were resolved with an XS SNOO Sack or with swaddling tips.”
The adequacy of your firm's responses cannot be determined at this time. Your firm’s August 15, 2025, response acknowledged that multiple complaints with similar issue characteristics and risk profiles were grouped under a single Product Experience Report. It noted that you have ceased the practice of grouping multiple complaints and that all current and future MDR evaluations are now being documented individually for each complaint. It also stated that you plan to undertake corrective actions including
(b)(4)
. Additionally, it stated that you plan to
(b)(4)
, however, you did not provide a justification for
(b)(4)
.
Your firm’s February 26, 2026, response states that all grouped PERs were reviewed and that no grouped PERs remain unsegregated, however, no supporting documentation was provided. Your February response also states that your firm’s complaint handling procedure titled "SOP026 Complaint Handling" has been revised to clearly require that each complaint be documented and processed as a separate PER, however, a copy of your revised procedure was not provided. In addition, your response states that training on the revised procedure has been completed for all relevant personnel, however, no supporting evidence was provided. Finally, your firm’s effectiveness monitoring plan for the corrective actions implemented is still ongoing.
2. Failure to maintain adequate records of complaint investigations, as required by 21 CFR 820.198(e). Your firm’s Complaint Handling procedure requires that “[a]ny complaint involving the possible failure of a device, labeling, or packaging to meet any of its specifications shall be reviewed, evaluated, and investigated….” However, our inspection revealed that your firm does not always maintain documentation of your complaint investigations. For example:
In PER-000026, opened 9/20/2023, your firm received a complaint from a customer stating that they placed their baby in a Medium Sleep Sack and that their baby “scooted his body down and got his face like under the SNOO sack….” The customer stated that they were reporting the issue because “everything was in place correctly and this happened and could have been bad.” The customer also stated: “I worry about it happening to my son again or another baby with a fatal result.” In response to this complaint, your firm investigated the returned SNOO Sleep Sack, found it to be within specifications, and concluded that the issue was caused by user error. However, when the FDA investigators asked for evidence documenting your investigation that the SNOO sleep sack met specifications, your firm stated that although you had checked the SNOO sleep sack dimensions against the product specifications, the actual measurement data was not recorded or retained by your firm.
The adequacy of your firm's responses cannot be determined at this time. Your firm's August 15, 2025, response acknowledged that your firm lacked documentation to support product dimension validation for the SNOO sleep sack. It noted that your Quality Assurance (QA) and complaint handling teams were instructed to immediately begin recording all physical inspection and measurement data obtained during complaint investigations involving returned products. It also mentioned that your firm would be updating procedure titled "SOP026 Complaint Handling" and/or the associated complaint investigation work instruction to require
(b)(4)
.
Your firm’s February 26, 2026, response states that your firm’s complaint handling procedure titled "SOP026 Complaint Handling" has been revised, however, a copy of your revised procedure was not provided. In addition, your response states that training on the revised procedure has been completed for all relevant personnel, however, no supporting evidence was provided. Finally, your firm’s effectiveness monitoring plan for the corrective actions implemented is still ongoing.
3. Failure to adequately establish and maintain procedures for the identification, documentation, validation or where appropriate verification, review, and approval of design changes before their implementation, as required by 21 CFR 820.30(i). For example:
a.
X-Small Sleep Sack
: Your firm's procedure titled “SOP003 Design Control,” Revision 2, establishes design modifications requirements. This procedure requires that your firm “[i]dentify the Design Control phases that need to be revisited including the appropriate phase design reviews” when your firm makes a design modification. However, when your firm modified the design of your sleep sack to introduce the X-Small Sleep Sack, which has smaller dimensions than your other existing sleep sacks, your firm did not identify the Design Control phases that needed to be revisited for this design change, including design validation. Instead, without performing any testing on the new X-Small Sleep Sack, your firm concluded that it did not introduce any new types of risk based on prior testing conducted on the existing Small, Medium, and Large Sleep Sacks.
b.
X-Large Sleep Sack
: Your firm's procedure titled “SOP003 Design Control,” Revision 2, establishes design modifications requirements. This procedure requires that your firm “[i]dentify the Design Control phases that need to be revisited including the appropriate phase design reviews” when your firm makes a design modification. However, when your firm modified the design of your sleep sack to introduce the X-Large Sleep Sack, which has larger dimensions than your other existing sleep sacks, your firm did not identify the Design Control phases that needed to be revisited for this design change, including design validation. Instead, without performing any testing on the new X-Large Sleep Sack, your firm concluded that it did not introduce any new types of risk based on prior testing conducted on the existing Small, Medium, and Large Sleep Sacks.
We reviewed your firm's responses and conclude that they are not adequate. Your firm’s August 15, 2025, response acknowledged that you did not initiate formal design change controls when you introduced the X-Small and X-Large Sleep Sacks and that you did not document your justification for not doing so. It stated that you were planning to undertake corrective actions including, but not limited to,
(b)(4)
. It also stated that your firm was going to
(b)(4)
.
Your firm’s February 26, 2026, response states that you released a new, dedicated Design History File that includes comprehensive documentation for all sizes of SNOO Sleep sacks as well as for design pattern changes. It also states that you created a new standardized Design Impact Assessment Template (FOR-000081, v0) and revised your design control procedure titled "SOP003 Design Control" to require completion of a Design Impact Assessment for all design changes, however, a copy of these documents was not provided. Your response also states that a new CAPA (CAR-000043) was initiated to conduct a retrospective design impact assessment of all products and components that interact with the SNOO Smart Sleeper. However, rather than conducting new design validation testing for the X-Small and X-Large SNOO sleep sacks, your firm determined that additional validation was unnecessary based on equivalency to prior testing and referred FDA to the prior validation protocols, reports, and justifications that you had already submitted in your August 15, 2025, response. We disagree with the conclusion in your “Justification for Exemption of XS and XL SNOO Sacks from Safety, Flammability, Chemical, Durability, and Human Factors Retesting” document that the X-Small and X-Large SNOO Sleep Sacks did not need design validation testing given that you had already tested the Small, Medium, and Large sizes of the sleep sacks.
4. Failure to adequately establish and maintain procedures for validating the device design, as required by 21 CFR 820.30(g). For example:
a. Your firm’s design validation did not include adequate testing of production units under actual or simulated use conditions. Specifically, your firm performed design validation testing for the SNOO Smart Sleeper using an average-sized model infant. However, actual use conditions of the device, as authorized, include use by infants ranging from 5 pounds to 25 pounds. There is no evidence that validation testing was performed with model infants on the lower or upper ranges of size and weight to reflect actual use conditions.
b. Your firm’s design validation did not adequately ensure that your device conforms to all defined user needs. Specifically, your firm’s Design Traceability Matrix, DTM-000001, Revision 1.1, includes a list of user needs for the SNOO Smart Sleeper and User Need 12 states that “Baby shall not be able to entrap their head in any part of the bassinet.” Your firm determined that only design verification, not design validation, was required for this user need, but you did not document your justification for this determination.
c. Your firm distributes SNOO Leg Lifters to raise the head of the SNOO Smart Sleeper at a slight incline, however, your firm has not adequately validated the use of the SNOO Leg Lifters with the SNOO Smart Sleeper. According to your firm’s Quality Manager, your firm performed validation testing of the SNOO Leg Lifters with a SNOO Smart Sleeper that used an “old-style SNOO Sack,” which predated the SNOO sleep sacks that were authorized in DEN210039.
The adequacy of your firm’s responses cannot be determined at this time. Your firm's August 15, 2025, response acknowledges that your firm’s design verification and validation process did not document your determination that preventing head entrapment did not require design validation. Your initial response also acknowledges that your firm did not maintain documentation of your justification for not including the worst-case physiological variables for the Human Factors Validation Report (RPT-001). In addition, you acknowledge that the Leg Lifter testing was performed prior to the De Novo authorization of the SNOO but was not validated subsequently. Your firm's initial response mentions corrective actions including but not limited to documenting the rationale for using an average-dimension anthropometric model in the RPT-001 Human Factors Validation Report and revising your design verification and validation process to require explicit, documented justification when opting for verification in lieu of validation. In addition, your response states that you plan to conduct
(b)(4)
testing using the current SNOO Smart Sleeper in combination with the SNOO Leg Lifters and performing a formal Design Impact Assessment to evaluate the compatibility of the SNOO Leg lifters with the updated SNOO Smart Sleeper system.
Your firm's February 26, 2026, response states that you created three documents: 1)
“Justification for Verification vs Validation for User-needs 11 to 20”; 2) “Justification for Use of Average Doll in HF Testing”; and 3) an updated “SNOO Design Traceability Matrix (DTM-000001 Rev 2.1)” to address the identified gaps; however, a copy of these documents was not provided. Your response also states that you revised “SOP008 - Design Verification and Validation” to explicitly require a documented justification when verification is performed in lieu of validation; however, a copy of this document was not provided. Furthermore, your response mentions that a CAPA (CAR-000043) was opened to address review of other active product Design Traceability Matrixes and associated test documentation for similar gaps; however, a copy of this CAPA was not provided. In addition, your response states that you conducted verification activities including an updated ASTM-based static load testing and stability testing with the Leg Lifters installed as well as a formal risk assessment (RPT-000086) and regulatory assessment (RPT-000087), but a copy of these documents was not provided. Finally, your firm’s effectiveness monitoring plan for the corrective actions implemented is still ongoing.
5. Failure to adequately establish and maintain procedures for verifying the device design, as required by 21 CFR 820.30(f). For example:
Your firm’s design traceability matrix, DTM-000001, Revision 1.1 for the SNOO Smart Sleeper, describes User Need, UN-12, as Baby shall not be able to entrap their head in any part of bassinet, as only requiring design verification. Your Design Verification, which was documented in Test Report/Technical Report, CER-000001, fails to describe how the User Need, UN-12, was verified. Your firm failed to confirm that the design output met design input requirements during design verification and did not include pre-defined criteria for the testing of the units during design verification.
The adequacy of your firm’s responses cannot be determined at this time. Your firm's August 15, 2025, response listed corrective actions including, but not limited to supplementing the third-party company testing with an internal verification protocol summary; preparing a supplemental rationale that outlines how head entrapment risks were addressed through JPMA certification testing; and standardizing third-party testing documentation by requesting that contracted laboratories provide detailed protocols and evidence of testing if they can provide it as part of their reports.
Your firm's February 26, 2026, response states that you created a Design Verification Summary Report (RPT-000084) to supplement third-party testing data and consolidate all verification evidence, which you describe as demonstrating that the SNOO Smart Sleeper meets applicable safety and performance requirements; however, a copy of this report was not provided. In addition, your response states that your firm implemented a standardized approach for third-party test documentation by formally requesting contracted laboratories to provide detailed test protocols, acceptance criteria, and objective evidence of testing where available. Your response states that your firm's Quality Management System database,
(b)(4)
, was updated with a prompt to support this process; however, evidence documenting this was not provided. Finally, your firm’s effectiveness monitoring plan for the corrective actions implemented is still ongoing.
6. Failure to adequately establish and maintain procedures for implementing corrective and preventive action, as required by 21 CFR 820.100(a). For example:
a. Your firm’s procedure titled “SOP022 Corrective and Preventive Action,” Revision 1, dated 10/11/2024, requires that your firm make a determination to include a nonconformity or unanticipated event in the corrective and preventative action (CAPA) system based on risk impact(s) or potential impact(s) to safety or efficacy of a product or process; however, it fails to adequately define when nonconformities (i.e., complaints) need to be escalated to a CAPA. As a result, your firm failed to open CAPAs to adequately investigate recurring nonconformities reported in complaints. For example:
i. Your firm opened complaint PER-000135 on 05/15/2024, after receiving four complaints from customers who reported receiving dirty SNOO Smart Sleeper devices. The complaints reported stains, soiling from bodily fluids, and overall unsanitary conditions of certain SNOO Smart Sleeper devices that were sent to customers. Your firm’s complaint investigation revealed that all four dirty SNOO Smart Sleeper devices originated from your refurbisher. Your firm performed an inspection of
(b)(4)
refurbished units from your refurbisher and determined that 100% of the devices failed to meet your quality standards. In response, your firm halted all shipments of refurbished SNOO Smart Sleeper devices from your refurbisher and performed a soft refurbishment of all devices to meet your quality standards. Your firm determined that a CAPA was not needed because that refurbisher was no longer refurbishing devices for your firm. Your firm failed to open a CAPA to investigate the underlying cause of the issue, identify the additional actions needed to correct and prevent recurrence of the identified issue, and to ensure the corrective actions taken were effective and did not adversely affect the finished device.
ii. Your firm failed to open a CAPA to investigate the recurring nonconformity reported within complaints involving SNOO sleep sacks being too big for infants. Eighteen complaints (12 grouped under PER000060 and 6 additional Product Experience Reports) reported customer concerns about SNOO sleep sacks being too big for the infants. Your firm determined that no CAPA was needed for PER-000060, concluding there was no product deficiency or malfunction and attributing the issue to infants being too small. However, some customers reported purchasing the correct size sleep sack based on your firm’s marketed weight ranges for the sleep sacks. Your firm failed to adequately investigate this recurring issue to determine the underlying root cause, such as inadequate design verification/validation activities, and failed to determine the need for corrective actions, including but not limited to instruction for use updates and reverification and/or revalidation activities.
b. Your firm’s procedure titled “SOP026 Complaint Handling,” Revision 6, dated 4/16/2025, requires that complaint data be collected and analyzed; however, your firm does not have a procedure for complaint data source analysis which defines your firm's process and ensures that all complaints are analyzed in a manner to allow adequate evaluation and detection of recurring quality issues. Currently, your firm's complaint data analysis is performed manually in an uncontrolled spreadsheet.
The adequacy of your firm’s responses cannot be determined at this time. Your firm's August 15, 2025, response acknowledges that SOP022 and SOP026 do not define when complaint investigations or supplier quality events require escalation to a CAPA, which resulted in not opening a CAPA for inadequate refurbishing of
(b)(4)
units. Your response mentions corrective actions including but not limited to performing a retrospective review of Product Experience Reports, supplier events, and complaint investigations over the past
(b)(4)
to identify any instances where operational corrective actions were taken, but no CAPA or rationale for CAPA exclusion was documented. The response also fails to provide a justification for why your retrospective review will only cover the past
(b)(4)
.
Your firm's February 26, 2026, response states that you opened CAPA CAR-000036 to document the activities performed for PER-000136; however, a copy of this CAPA was not provided. Your response also states that you completed the retrospective review of the Product Experience Reports (PERs), supplier events, and complaint investigations from the past
(b)(4)
, and listed examples of cases identified where corrective actions were applied without a corresponding CAPA. However, you did not provide evidence documenting the CAPAs you opened or evidence showing how these were addressed. Moreover, your firm’s effectiveness monitoring plan for the corrective actions implemented is still ongoing. Your firm’s response did not address violations 6(a)(ii) and 6(b) because they were not listed on the FDA 483.
Corrections and Removals Violations
Our inspection also revealed that your firm’s SNOO Smart Sleeper device is misbranded under section 502(t)(2) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(t)(2), in that your firm failed or refused to furnish material or information respecting the device that is required by or under section 519 of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360i, and 21 CFR Part 806 – Medical Devices; Reports of Corrections and Removals. Significant violations include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Failure to submit any report required by 21 CFR 806.10(a) within 10 working days of initiating a correction or removal, as required by 21 CFR 806.10(b). For example:
Your firm received four complaints from customers reporting stains, soiling from bodily fluids, and overall unsanitary conditions of the SNOO Smart Sleeper. Your firm’s complaint investigation determined that all of those SNOO Smart Sleeper devices originated from your refurbisher and that they failed to meet your firm’s quality standards. To remedy this issue, your firm sent replacement SNOO Smart Sleeper devices to customers who returned their stained, soiled, or otherwise unsanitary SNOO Smart Sleeper devices.
Unsanitary SNOO Smart Sleeper devices can pose health risks for the vulnerable infant population. For example, improperly cleaned SNOO Smart Sleeper devices may place infants at risk because exposure to contaminated surfaces can play a key role in the spread of infection. In addition, the presence of stains may be a repository for pathogens, particularly from bodily fluids, that may cause local and systemic infection. Infants are at an increased risk of infection because of their developing immune system.
Your firm’s action to send replacement SNOO Smart Sleeper devices to customers who returned their stained, soiled, or otherwise unsanitary SNOO Smart Sleeper devices meets the definition of a medical device correction or removal initiated to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or remedy a violation of the Act caused by the device, which may present a risk to health, for which you are required by 21 CFR 806.10 to report the correction or removal to FDA. As of June 11, 2026, you have not submitted a Medical Device Report of Correction or Removal to FDA for this action.
Your firm's responses, dated August 15, 2025, and February 26, 2026, did not address this violation because it was not listed on the FDA 483.
A follow up inspection will be required to assure that corrections and/or corrective actions are adequate.
Your firm should take prompt action to address any violations identified in this letter. Failure to adequately address this matter may result in regulatory action being initiated by the FDA without further notice. These actions include, but are not limited to, seizure, injunction, and civil money penalties.
Other federal agencies may take your compliance with the FD&C Act and its implementing regulations into account when considering the award of federal contracts. Additionally, should FDA determine that you have Quality System regulation violations that are reasonably related to premarket approval applications for Class III devices, such devices will not be approved until the violations have been addressed. Should FDA determine that your devices or facilities do not meet the requirements of the Act, requests for Certificates to Foreign Governments (CFG) may not be granted.
On February 2, 2024, the FDA issued a
final rule
amending the device current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements of the Quality System (QS) Regulation under 21 CFR 820 to align more closely with the international consensus standard for Quality Management Systems for medical devices used by many other regulatory authorities around the world. The revised part 820, referred to as the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), became effective on February 2, 2026. Your most recent inspection on July 21-25, 2025, was conducted pursuant to the QS Regulation, which was in effect at the time of the inspection. However, any corrective actions you propose or implement must be pursuant to the QMSR requirements in effect as of February 2, 2026. For more information on the QMSR please refer to our frequently asked questions webpage: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/quality-system-qs-regulationmedical-device-current-good-manufacturing-practices-cgmp/quality-management-system-regulation-final-rule-amending-quality-system-regulation-frequently-asked.
Please notify this office in writing within fifteen business days from the date you receive this letter of the specific steps your firm has taken to address the noted violations, as well as an explanation of how your firm plans to prevent these violations, or similar violations, from occurring again. Include documentation of the corrections and/or corrective actions (which must address systemic problems) that your firm has taken. If your firm’s planned corrections and/or corrective actions will occur over time, please include a timetable for implementation of those activities. If corrections and/or corrective actions cannot be completed within fifteen business days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which these activities will be completed. Your firm’s response should be comprehensive and address any violations included in this Warning Letter. If you believe that your products are not in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration as part of your response.
Your firm’s response should be sent via email to Melissa Michurski, Establishment Assessment Team 2, Assistant Director, at CDRHEnforcement@fda.hhs.gov. Please include in the subject line, CMS Case #718306 when replying. If you have any questions about the contents of this letter, please contact: Ashley Mutawakkil, Compliance Officer, at Ashley.Mutawakkil@fda.hhs.gov.
Finally, you should know that this letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the violations at your firm’s facility. It is your firm’s responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations administered by FDA. The specific violations noted in this letter and in the Inspectional Observations, FDA 483, issued at the close of the inspection may be symptomatic of serious problems in your firm’s manufacturing and quality management systems. Your firm should investigate and determine the causes of any violations and take prompt actions to address any violations and bring the products into compliance.
Sincerely,
/S/
CDR Cesar A. Perez, PhD, USPHS
Acting Deputy Director
Office of Regulatory Programs
Office of Product Evaluation and Quality
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
______________________________
1
At the time of the inspection, you informed FDA that you had distributed
(b)(4)
X-Small Sleep Sacks since 2025.
2
See
Barbara M. Ostfeld, Ofira Schwartz-Soicher, Nancy E. Reichman, Julien O. Teitler, Thomas Hegyi; Prematurity and Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths in the United States. Pediatrics July 2017; 140 (1): e20163334. 10.1542/peds.2016-3334.
3
At the time of the inspection, you informed FDA that you had distributed
(b)(4)
X-Large Sleep Sacks since 2024.
4
See Gellasch, Patricia PhD, APN-C; Johnson, Sandy BA; Walsh, Tracy A. MPH. The Experiences and Perceptions of Neonatal Clinicians When Using a Responsive Bassinet. Advances in Neonatal Care 23(4):p E88-E95, August 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001086 (“Survey respondents reported using the SNOO in a variety of clinical scenarios, but primarily in NICU settings: Level IV (n = 76; 32%), Level III (n = 59; 25%), Level II (n = 44; 19%), and Level 1 Nurseries (n = 30; 13%). The SNOO was also used in infant/mother rooms (n = 15; 6%), and other pediatric-focused hospital units (n = 11; 5%) (ie, general pediatric units, pediatric intensive care units). Respondents indicated using the SNOO with infants experiencing NAS (n = 174; 98%), fussy infants (n = 94; 53%), routine newborns (n = 9; 5%), premature infants (n = 5; 3%), and infants recovering from surgery (n = 4; 2%). Other clinical situations when the SNOO was used (n = 6; 3%) included COVID-19, isolation, infants with neurological deficits, and infants requiring chronic care.”)
5
This intended use is not a general wellness use, meaning the SNOO Hospital Bundle does not fall within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s (CDRH’s) general wellness policy (see FDA’s guidance “General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices”). Moreover, the general wellness policy does not apply because the SNOO Hospital Bundle does not present a low risk to the safety of users and other persons. CDRH actively regulates your firm’s SNOO Smart Sleeper under 21 CFR 880.5690 and has identified a number of risks to health associated with the use of this device, including increased risk of death or injuries associated with inadequate or inappropriate securement.
Content current as of:
06/15/2026
Regulated Product(s)
Medical Devices