Fisher-Price’s Infant-to-Toddler Rocker (left and center) and Newborn-to-Toddler Rocker (right).
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning to parents and caregivers after receiving multiple reports of infant deaths associated with Fisher-Price and Kids2 rockers. 13 infant deaths connected to these rockers have been reported between 2009 and 2021. The CPSC’s warning applies specifically to the Infant-to-Toddler and Newborn-to-Toddler rockers. However, CPSC Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr. warns consumers that, “no inclined product, made by Fisher-Price or any other company, is safe for infant sleep. Only a firm, flat surface is safe.”
This comes after the CPSC issued a warning in 2019 on the dangers of inclined sleep products for infants. According to the CPSC, 73 infant deaths related to inclined sleep products were reported from 2005 to 2019. This warning followed a CPSC sponsored study which found no inclined sleep products for infants are safe due to their increased risk of causing infant suffocation.
While the CPSC’s investigation into these products is ongoing, Commissioner Trumka attributes the delay in warning parents and caregivers of the dangers posed by these products to the “Gag Rule.” This rule requires the CPSC to obtain permission from a product’s manufacturer before issuing a warning to the public regarding a product’s safety. Even with cooperation from Fisher-Price, Trumka says it was an “uphill battle” to issue this warning and caused a delay of two months.
The CPSC’s warning is not a recall, however, these products may be banned in the near future. Congress has recently passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which bans infant sleep products, including rockers, that have an incline of more than 10 degrees. This bill will go into effect on June 23, 2022. Commissioner Trumka states the CPSC will analyze if these Fisher-Price rockers fall under this ban or not in the coming months. In the meantime, Fisher-Price has encouraged any concerned parents wishing to learn more about how to use their products safely to visit their website.