Almost four years after a Consumer Reports investigation prompted the recall of millions of popular infant inclined sleeping products, including the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play, more child deaths are being linked to these products.
But how is this possible since they were recalled years ago?
Consumer Reports and other product safety experts said companies are not doing enough to warn parents about the dangers that still exists.
In the spring of 2019, Fisher-Price and Kids2 infant inclined sleepers were recalled after a Consumer Reports investigation revealed that at least 36 deaths were linked to their products.
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Since then, the number of deaths have tripled.
New information released is a stark reminder that these dangerous sleep products are still in use.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least eight additional babies have reportedly died in the Fisher Price's Rock 'n Play Sleeper, and four have died in the Kids2 rocking sleepers since the recall, bringing the total number of deaths for both sleepers to more than 100.
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"These sleepers position infants on an inclined sleeping surface, and that increases the risk of suffocation if it makes their heads drop forward onto their chests while they're sleeping," said Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter, Lauren Kirchner. "Sadly, the news that additional infants have died means that even while the inclined sleepers cannot legally be sold, they are still being used in people's homes."
Kirchner said when a product gets recalled, it is the manufacturers responsibility to both get it out of the stores and to alert people who already own it to stop using it immediately. And safety experts said that they just haven't seen Fisher-Price or Kids2 do enough in that area.
According to Mattel, Fisher-Price's parent company, as of last March only 9.5 percent of Rock 'n Play had been accounted for since the recall. In other words, more than four million recalled sleepers are potentially still in use.
The company added that Fisher-Price "has worked diligently to remove all recalled products from the market" since the recall of Rock 'n Play in 2019.
Kids2 did not respond to a request for comment from Consumer Reports.
To keep your baby safe, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be put to bed only in products that meet federal safety requirements for infant sleep, such as a bassinet, a crib or playyard.
If you're having a hard time getting your infant to sleep, ask your pediatrician for tips rather than using an unsafe positioning product.
Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that if anyone sees one of these recalled sleepers for sale, that they report it to the agency at saferproducts.gov.
