The US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued safety warnings this week after at least 14 infant deaths in recent years were found to be related to child rockers. On average, about 3,400 sleep-related deaths happen among newborns each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a number the agency says includes deaths of babies due to "sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation in a sleeping environment and other deaths from unknown causes," according to a report by Good Morning America.
Fourteen infants in rockers have died in the last 12 years.
The safety commission warnings covered some Fisher-Price and Kids2 rockers and warned parents to not let children sleep in those products. The safety commission reported at least 13 deaths between 2009 and 2021 of infants in Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers, as well as, one death in 2019 of an infant in a Kids2 Bright Starts Rocker.
“Parents and caregivers should never use inclined products, such as rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings, for infant sleep and should not leave infants in these products unsupervised, unrestrained, or with bedding material, due to the risk of suffocation,” read a statement from the safety commission.
Fisher Price and Kids 2 assure consumers their top priority is the families they serve.
"Fisher-Price recommends consumers visit Fisher-Price’s Safe Start webpage at www.fisherprice.com/SafeStart for safety videos, tips and additional safety information, as well as the latest safety warnings for Rockers and other infant products," the safety commission's statement noted.
Kids2 also issued a statement on the safety commission's website encouraging consumers to report any incidents to the company, reassuring parents that their "number one priority is the safety and well-being of the babies and families who love and use our products."
The CDC offered tips to keep babies safe.
The CDC recommends when putting babies to sleep that parents place them on their back, use a firm surface such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, remove soft bedding, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys out of the baby’s sleeping area, and have babies sleep in the same room as their parents but not in the same bed.
In addition, the safety commission issued a rule that will go into effect later this month requiring that sleep products have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or less and all sleep products conform to existing bassinet, crib, or play yard standards, Good Morning America reported.
