Fisher-Price is a well-known and beloved brand when it comes to products for babies and children. So parents, family, and friends likely purchase items from the brand believing it can be trusted completely. After all, many of us recall the brand's products being all over our homes when we were kids.
Sadly, that hasn't exactly been the case of late. In the past three years, at least 100 families have reportedly had to bury their children as a result of using the now-recalled Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play sleeper.
Many of the babies who have died were unrestrained.
The deaths were a result of infants rolling over from their backs to their stomachs or sides in the sleeper, often while unrestrained, NBC News reported. The recall has affected 4.7 million units.
The sleepers were first recalled in April 2019. But since the initial recall, 70 more deaths have occurred, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced.
According to CNN Business, at least eight additional deaths have occurred since the 2019 recall, prompting Fisher-Price to once again recall the Rock 'n Play Sleeper on January 9, 2023.
The sleepers were sold from 2009 to 2019.
The sleepers were sold at stores nationwide — including Walmart, Target, and on Amazon — from September 2009 to April 2019. They sold for between $40 and $149. Fisher-Price is offering refunds for the recalled products.
Parents of the now-deceased children believe the company not only could have done more to alert the public about the dangers of this product, but also that it ignored red flags in favor of making a profit.
The Committee on Oversight and Reform said Fisher-Price ignored several warnings that the product was dangerous.
In 2021, CafeMom reported that the Committee on Oversight and Reform accused the company of risking millions of innocent lives by continuing to market the product despite several red flags.
"Fisher-Price ignored multiple warnings that the Rock 'n Play was not safe for infant sleep, including reports of infant injuries and deaths," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in a statement.
"Despite this clear evidence, the company continued to market the Rock 'n Play for overnight sleep, reaping hundreds of millions in revenue during the 10 years the product was on the market."
Fisher-Price's GM said the company is committed to educating parents on the safe use of the product.
An analysis of the sleepers reportedly found that most of the deaths were of children under 3 months old. Many of them died from the inability to breathe once they’d moved in the sleeper. Fisher-Price claims that the deaths could have been a result of user error. It’s a claim that has infuriated victims.
"These incidents are indeed heart-breaking," noted Chuck Scothon, general manager of Fisher-Price in a statement issued after the initial recall. "We are committed to educating parents and caregivers on the safe use of all of our products, including the importance of following all warnings and instructions to ensure the health and safety of babies and children."
Erika Richter said if the company was transparent about the safety of its products, her daughter would still be here today.
Richter's 2-week-old daughter Emma died in a Rock ’n Play sleeper. During a congressional hearing in 2021, she said she couldn’t believe the company was trying to suggest it's committed to safety in the wake of these tragedies.
“We have hard evidence that points to their deliberate actions to take advantage of an unregulated market of infant sleep products,” Richter said. “If I had known about the dangers of the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper even minutes before Emma was placed in it, I would still have my daughter today."
If you have a Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play, you should stop using it immediately. You can start the refund process by visiting the Mattel recall site or calling 1-866-812-6518 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
