Pillows may be to blame in baby deaths

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WPVI) -- Many mothers use crescent-shaped pillows for nursing.

But Dauphin County coroner Graham Hetrick is now sounding the alarm about them.

Hetrick says the deaths of 3 young infants this year may be tied to the misuse of those pillows.

The pillows are supposed to help a mom support her baby while the infant is nursing.

But parents may be using them to prop up babies, possibly even letting them sleep there.

That can lead to suffocation.

Wendy O'Shea, of Cribs for Kids, spoke about it as she demonstrated how tragedy can happen.

"So the baby could slide down. And if the baby slides down, now it's airway can be cut off," says O'Shea.

The coroner says the babies who died were about 2 to 3 months-old -- too young to pull themselves up if they slide down.

The maker of the leading brand of pillows has detailed warnings on its website against allowing babies to sleep on the pillows.

And the tag itself has a "not for sleep" symbol as well as a written warning.

Child experts say babies should ONLY sleep on their backs, with nothing in their cribs.