Fisher-Price is a pretty respectable brand of baby products.
Then again, so was Johnson & Johnson and their baby powder has been linked to cancer.
Back to Fisher-Price who have recalled 4,7 million of their Rock ‘n Play sleepers after a group of pediatricians urged its parent company, Mattel, to stop selling the product after it was reported that it had caused multiple infant deaths, reports the New York Times.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should stop using the sleeper immediately and contact Fisher-Price for a refund or a voucher. Major retailers sell the product for $40 to $149, according to the agency.
The voluntary move by Fisher-Price was a reversal for the company, which issued a joint safety warning with the product safety commission last week after the commission said it was aware of 10 deaths since 2015 of children 3 months or older linked to the sleeper. In most cases, the children suffocated after rolling over in the sleeper from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained.
Mattel says that they stand by the safety of their products and that the deaths occurred when the product was used “contrary to the safety warnings and instructions.”
A separate investigation by Consumer Reports connected the cloth-covered cradle to 32 infant deaths from 2011 to 2018, including some involving children under 3 months.
On Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics called the sleeper “deadly” and demanded an immediate recall. Representative Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois and the chairwoman of the House subcommittee focused on consumer protection, added to the outcry on Thursday, pushing Mattel to remove the sleeper from stores and websites, saying in a statement that “any delay continues to put more children’s lives at risk.”
One set of parents are considering legal action against the company despite the recall.
If you own one of these sleepers, remove your baby from it immediately and throw it in the trash.
[source:nytimes]
