About 100 children have died from using the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper in the last 13 years. The popular product was recalled from circulation in 2019, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, on Monday, January 11, 2023.
The body is now out with fresh warnings over the continued use of the products and the dangers attached to them.
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Keep reading for the details.
Fresh Warnings To Parents
In its announcement on Monday, the commission is now passing new warnings to parents about the continued use of the products, stating that nearly 100 infants’ death has been linked to its use in the past 13 years.
The 2019 Recall
Remember Fisher-Price recalled almost all of its 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play Sleepers back in April 2019 after 32 deaths were directly traced to its use, 10 years of its presence on the market. Most of the victims died from suffocation in the sleeper after rolling over from the back onto their stomachs or sides.
70 More Deaths
Since its recall in 2019, 70 more deaths have been confirmed, including 8 that occurred after the first recall, leading the commission to issue a repeated warning and order customers to contact Fisher-Price for refunds or vouchers.
Erika Richter Is Speaking Up
The mother of one of the infants who died years ago when she was two weeks old in the sleeper is now using her voice to speak up against the use.
“I think about her all the time. I think about what life would be like with her still around, she would be 3 year old.” Richter told Good Morning America in 2021.
Joining The Congressional Hearing
Richter even took part in the congressional hearing in June 2021 following a report from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which revealed that Fisher-Price did not consult any certified pediatricians body to ensure the sleeper was safe.
Update Since The Recall
Since the company recalled the product, only 395,239 out of 4.84 million units had been returned by the end of 2020, even after Fisher-Price had notified the customers by mail. Still, safety advocates insist the company do more to ensure all the products are returned.
AAP’s Recommendation Since 1992
The American Academy Of Pediatrics has suggested since 1992 that babies sleep on their backs in cribs without bedding to prevent sudden infant death syndrome.
Inclined Sleepers Are Dangerous
The body continued that babies’ airway can be obstructed by their heavy heads when it falls forward into the chin-to-chest position or by rolling over when they’re placed in inclined sleepers like Rock ‘n Play.
President Biden In May 2022
In an active move to reduce infant death from products, President Joe Biden signed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which banned the production and sale of padded crib bumper pads and inclined sleep items to parents of new infants.
Word From Fisher-Price
Following the renewed warnings, the company maintained its ground on recalling the products since 2019 and insisted it couldn’t confirm the cause of some of the deaths or that a Rock ‘n Play Sleeper caused it.
Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleepers
Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat of Illinois and member of a House subcommittee on consumer protection, has also encouraged consumers to dispose of the recalled products.
