WASHINGTON, April 14 – (NNN-TELESUR) – United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USPSC) said Friday that toymaker Fisher-Price has voluntarily recalled all its “Rock ‘n Play Sleeper” products after reports of more than 30 infant deaths caused by using the product.
Since the 2009 product introduction, over 30 infant fatalities have occurred in Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, after the infants rolled over while unrestrained, or under other circumstances,” USPSC stated in their recall report.
The regulator added that consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact Fisher-Price for a refund or voucher.
“We stand by the safety of our products. However, due to reported incidents in which the product was used contrary to the safety warnings and instructions, we have decided to conduct a voluntary recall of the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper in partnership with the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” Fisher Price-owner Mattel Inc. said.
In most instances, the infants suffocated after rolling over in the sleeper onto their stomach or side while they were unrestrained.
The Fisher-Price recall reverses a previous move in which the company issued a joint safety warning with the consumer safety commission last week. That came after the commission said it was aware of 10 deaths linked to the sleeper since 2015, specifically of children who were three months of age or older.
A separate investigation by Consumer Reports had connected the cradle to 32 infant deaths between 2011 and 2018, some involving children under three months, the New York Times (NYT) reported.
Leading up to the recall, last Tuesday the American Academy of Pediatrics said the sleeper was “deadly” and demanded an immediate recall. Democratic House of Representatives member from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky added her voice to the calls for consumer protection, saying “any delay continues to put more children’s lives at risk,” in a statement Thursday.
Despite the recall, says lawyer Jonathan A. Sorkowitz representing a family who lost their 3-month-old daughter after she died in one of the cloth cradles in September 2018, the family was still considering legal action.
“Although this is a necessary and important step, it does not provide justice for the many families who have already been harmed by this dangerous product,” Sorkowitz told the NYT in an email statement.
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