After at least 13 infant deaths in Fisher-Price-manufactured rockers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned customers about the risks of slanted products to children in the first months of life.
The deaths occurred within the past 12 years and have been linked to the baby-to-toddler rocker or newborn-to-toddler rocker, according to an announcement Tuesday by Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr. Expert guidance from doctors and the agency says that infants should only sleep on flat surfaces.
“No inclined product, made by Fisher-Price or any other company, is safe for babies to sleep,” said Mr Trumka. “Only a flat, solid surface is safe.”
Another company product, a Fisher-Price sleeper, was recalled in 2019 after it was linked to at least 10 deaths. Sleepers and rockers are similar products, said Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. Both put the child on a slope.
Babies under 4 months do not have the strength to roll over on a flat bed, but the shape of these products allows them to do so. This can cause them to suffocate in the material on both sides, as they cannot roll their bodies onto their backs. In addition, the angle of these rockers can obstruct the airways of babies.
A Fisher-Price representative said in a statement that the safe use of the rockers includes not using them for sleeping, never leaving the child unsupervised or uninhibited, and not adding bedding.
“The product is safe and provides babies and toddlers with a seat to relax and play – as both a rocking chair and a stationary seat,” the representative said. “However, parents and caregivers should not use these products for sleeping, never leave babies unsupervised or uninhibited in these products, and never add bedding due to the risk of suffocation.”
The committee also included a warning about a Minnie Mouse-themed Kids 2 rocker for infants to toddlers, which the committee said was associated with one death. The company had not responded to a request for comment.
“This is a tragic reminder of how important safe sleep is to babies,” said Dr. Hoffman.
Car seats, if installed at the right angle with a harness, are safe for a baby to fall asleep to, he said. But the same car seat is not recommended when removed from the base.
“As a parent and pediatrician, I know it’s challenging to think about getting a sleeping baby out of a car seat and into an approved sleeping area,” he said. “But that’s the recommendation.”
In May, Congress passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which banned the manufacture and sale of slant sleepers for infants. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, one of the leading causes of infant death in the United States, can be caused by non-recommended sleeping conditions, such as using an inclined rocker.
The Infant-to-Toddler Rocker and Newborn-to-Toddler Rocker have not been recalled, but Mr. Trumka said the committee will determine whether they fall under the congressional ban. The 2019 recall involved 4.7 million products.
The announcement about the 13 infant deaths, which took place between 2009 and 2021, was delayed by two months due to a restriction prohibiting the commission from disclosing information about consumer products without taking certain steps to ensure its accuracy and fairness. Mr Trumka called on Congress to repeal this ‘gag rule’.
“Even with Fisher-Price’s cooperation, we have put up an uphill battle to release this information to alert parents and carers,” Mr Trumka said.
Alex D. Hoehn-Saric, chairman of the security committee, said the organization is continuing the investigation into the deaths. A new rule will come into effect on June 23 requiring the surfaces of sleep products to be angled at 10 degrees or less.
“Your baby’s sleeping environment should be the safest place in your home, so we would like to remind parents and carers that the best place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, level surface in a crib, crib, or playground, with no blankets, pillows or other things,” he said. “Babies should never be unsupervised or uninhibited in rocking chairs, gliders, pacifiers, or swings.”
