A consumer watchdog group in the US is calling for the recall of a popular incline sleeping chair.
The group has linked at least 32 infant deaths to the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper. The company issued an alert back on April 5th, calling for parents to stop using the sleeper, as soon as their child can roll off their backs. That typically happens around three months old.
In a release, the watchdog says ,“The CPSC is aware of 10 infant deaths in the Rock ‘n Play that have occurred since 2015, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side, while unrestrained. All 10 infants were three months or older,”
Here in Canada, the sleeper must be marketed as a "soothing seat", after Health Canada wrote to the Fisher-Price parent company in 2011, outlining concerns about the product.
Fisher-Price issued a statement recently:
A child fatality is an unimaginable tragedy.
Fisher-Price has a long, proud tradition of prioritizing safety as the cornerstone of our mission. Generations of parents have trusted us for almost 90 years to provide safe products for their children. We are there with you from the moment you bring your child home and take our responsibility for product safety very seriously.
Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price have jointly issued an alert warning parents and caregivers to discontinue use of the Rock 'n Play Sleeper when infants begin to roll over. To ensure a safe sleep environment for infants, we remind parents and caregivers to follow all safety warnings included with the product: always use the provided restraints, always place infants on their backs to sleep, and make sure that no pillows, blankets or extra padding are placed in the Rock 'n Play Sleeper. The Rock 'n Play Sleeper meets all applicable safety standards, including those of the international standards organization, known as ASTM International, and is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).
Fisher-Price and every one of our employees take the responsibility of being part of your family seriously, and we are committed to earning that trust every day.