Regulators on Monday reiterated that all models of Fisher-Price’s Rock ‘n Play Sleepers and Kids2′s Rocking Sleepers have been recalled after they were linked to more infant deaths.
“Today the (Consumer Product Safety Commission) is reannouncing two recalls of inclined infant sleepers that were issued nearly four years ago,” CSPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “We are issuing this announcement because, despite their removal from the marketplace and a prohibition on their sale, babies continue to die in these products.”
Rock ‘n Play sleepers were introduced in 2009 and sold at retailers including Walmart, Target and Amazon. Officials with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2019 recalled the 4.7 million sleepers sold nationwide after they were linked to about 30 infant deaths.
#Recall: @FisherPrice reannounces recall of 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play Sleepers; At least eight deaths occurred after recall. Stop using and get refund or voucher. CONTACT: 866-812-6518 or https://t.co/s8znDabn0P. Full recall notice: https://t.co/pvEhnDJH9X pic.twitter.com/OazJlhCFk9
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) January 9, 2023
On Monday, authorities said the products have since been connected to 100 reported deaths, including eight that happened after the initial recall notice went out.
Kids2′s Rocking Sleepers debuted at retailers in March 2012. Officials said about 694,000 were sold before authorities recalled them in April 2019.
The Kids2 sleepers have been connected to 15 infant deaths, including four reported to have happened after the initial recall notice went out, officials said.
#Recall: @Kids2Co reannounces recall of 694,000 Rocking Sleepers; Four additional deaths after recall. Stop using and get refund. CONTACT: 866-869-7954 or https://t.co/sf4k5XFtU0. Full recall notice: https://t.co/Rd2wOVjKwm pic.twitter.com/JvF3xOdvgf
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) January 9, 2023
Consumers were directed to stop using the sleepers immediately and contact Fisher-Price or Kids2 for refunds.
Authorities said some infants have died after rolling from their backs onto their stomachs or sides while unrestrained in the sleepers. Officials noted that Fisher-Price and Kids2 were unable to confirm the circumstances surrounding some of the reported deaths.
“I urge all parents, grandparents, and caregivers to follow the guidance of this announcement and stop using these products immediately,” Hoehn-Saric said. “Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk.”
In 2022, Congress passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act which barred the sale of inclined sleepers for infants and crib bumpers that have been deemed unsafe for young children. In a statement released last year, American Academy of Pediatrics president Moira Szilagyi hailed the legislation, calling it “a true game changer when it comes to protecting infants from products that have no place in a safe sleep environment.”
“The message from pediatricians has long been clear: the safest sleep environment for babies is a firm, flat, bare surface,” she said. “Despite what the science shows, crib bumpers and inclined sleepers have remained on the market and store shelves, misleading parents into thinking they are safe and leading to dozens of preventable infant deaths. No family should ever experience this tragedy.”
Authorities emphasized Monday that it is illegal to sell or distribute the recalled sleepers.
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