Fisher-Price Warns That Its Baby Rocker Isn't Safe For Sleeping & 'At Least' 13 Have Died
"Rockers should never be used for sleep."
A Fisher-Price rocker. Right: A baby sitting in a rocker.
U.S. authorities and Fisher-Price are warning that baby rockers are not safe for babies to sleep in after at least 13 deaths were linked to the company's products.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents and caregivers not to leave their children in the rockers unattended or asleep, given the risk it poses to the child's safety.
According to the CPSC, there have been "at least 13 reported deaths between 2009 and 2021 of infants in Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers."
"Rockers should never be used for sleep, and infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the Rockers," the CPSC said.
Fisher-Price has sold over 17 million rockers globally since the 1990s, and it's urging parents to read all available safety information before putting a child in a 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," warned the CPSC.
Instead, caregivers should always keep sleeping babies on a flat and firm surface, such as in a crib, bassinet, or play yard.
The CPSC suggests putting babies to sleep on their backs and warns against letting babies sleep with loose-fitting sheets, blankets, pillows, or other items in a baby's sleeping environment.
According to the CDC, "about 3,400 babies in the United States die suddenly and unexpectedly each year" due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocations in the sleeping environment and other unknown causes.
CPSC Chair Alex D. Hoehn-Saric says the CPSC is investigating the incidents related to the Fisher-Price products.
"Your infant's sleep environment should be the safest place in your home," Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. "Babies should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in rockers, gliders, soothers, or swings."
This isn't the first time Fisher-Price products have come under fire for their baby products being deemed too unsafe to use.
In 2021, over were recalled in Canada after multiple reports of suffocation.