Consumer Watchdog

12 infants died in inclined sleepers after two products were recalled

CPSC makes urgent appeal after a total of 115 deaths reported involving two products

Courtesy of CPSC | Public Domain

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday that even more infant deaths were associated with two inclined sleepers than previously known.

When 4.7 million Rock ‘n’ Play Sleepers were recalled in April 2019, more than 30 deaths were reported to have occurred in the Rock ‘n’ Play Sleepers, often after a baby would roll from their back to their stomach and suffocate.

On Monday, the CPSC said that a total of about 100 deaths have been reported — 70 more than previously announced. And, at least eight of those deaths reportedly occurred after the 2019 recall announcement.

In addition, about 694,000 Kids2 Rocking Sleepers had also been recalled in April 2019, after five infant deaths had been reported to have occurred in the Rocking Sleepers.

On Monday, the CPSC said a total of 15 infant deaths were reported to have occurred in the Rocking Sleepers — 10 more than previously announced. Four of those deaths were reported to have occurred after the recall was announced.

The CPSC “re-announced” the two recalls Monday because an unknown number of the products remain in people’s homes.

“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,” CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “I urge all parents, grandparents, and caregivers to follow the guidance of this announcement and stop using these products immediately.”

Hoehn-Saric noted that it’s illegal to sell or distribute any recalled product, including on the secondary market.

In the case of the Rock ‘n’ Play sleepers, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka said in a statement that Fisher-Price did a poor job of handling the recall by offering refunds only to consumers who’d bought the product during a six-month period, when it had been for sale for 10 years. A receipt was required. Other consumers were offered vouchers, which could take three to four months to get, meaning the infants may no longer be infants by the time they could get a replacement product.

“Companies save money when people do not participate in their recalls,” Trumka said. “When that happens, dangerous products stay in homes. We have seen that lead to deaths.”

Consumers can look up whether a product has been recalled and report any incidents at saferproducts.gov

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