Last week, Fisher-Price and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an alert warning parents and caregivers to discontinue use of the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper as soon as babies begin to roll over or over three-months-old. Since then, the company has upgraded to a total recall, affecting about 4.7 million Rock ’n Plays sold to date.
Following a statement released by The American Academy of Pediatrics urging a recall of the sleepers, calling them “deadly,” and a new analysis by Consumer Reports which attributed the sleeper to 32 sleep-related infant deaths, Fisher-Price issued a voluntary recall in the U.S. The CPSC held the product responsible for 10 infant deaths since 2015.
Fisher-Price general manager Chuck Scothon commented:
“A child fatality is an unimaginable tragedy.
Fisher-Price has a long, proud tradition of prioritizing safety as the cornerstone of our mission. Generations of parents have trusted us for almost 90 years to provide safe products for their children. We are there with you from the moment you bring your child home and take our responsibility for product safety very seriously.
Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price have jointly issued an alert warning parents and caregivers to discontinue use of the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper when infants begin to roll over. To ensure a safe sleep environment for infants, we remind parents and caregivers to follow all safety warnings included with the product: always use the provided restraints, always place infants on their backs to sleep, and make sure that no pillows, blankets or extra padding are placed in the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. The Rock ‘n Play Sleeper meets all applicable safety standards, including those of the international standards organization, known as ASTM International, and is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).
Fisher-Price and every one of our employees take the responsibility of being part of your family seriously, and we are committed to earning that trust every day.”
Interestingly, the product, marketed under a similar yet different name—the Rock ‘n Play Soother— in the Canadian market has not been recalled. As reported by Global News, Health Canada, which regulates consumer product safety, commented that “products like the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Soothing Seat ‘are not intended to be a place for babies to sleep.'”
The product is also marketed differently in this market, as a soother rather than sleeper. Federal regulations bar manufacturers from marketing baby gear as such in this market. The Canadian Paedetric has called on the government to review whether a recall is necessary.
The product has always come with a safety warning attached to it. For more safety information, click here.