After one baby died and another sustained injuries to his neck, more than two million MamaRoo baby swings and rockers have been recalled for posing threats of strangulation.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Monday the recall of about two million MamaRoo swings and 220,000 RockaRoo rockers, which are made by the company 4moms. According to the commission, when the swing or rocker isn't being used, the restraint straps hang below the seat. Crawling babies can become entangled in the straps, possibly posing entanglement and strangulation hazards.
A 10-month-old baby died from asphyxiation after crawling under the seat of a MamaRoo and becoming caught in the strap. Another 10-month-old suffered bruising to his neck before a caregiver rescued him.
4moms is offering a free strap fastener kit to prevent other incidents.
Gary Waters, CEO of 4moms, said in a statement that the company takes "every precaution" to ensure all its products meet "applicable safety standards."
"We are deeply saddened by the two incidents that occurred when babies crawled under the seat of unoccupied MamaRoo swings," he said. "After investigating the circumstances behind these two incidents, 4moms decided to conduct a voluntary recall in partnership with the CPSC.
"The free strap fastener kit we have designed is an easy-to-install solution that we believe will prevent any other incidents from happening when a MamaRoo or RockaRoo is not in use and an infant crawls under the seat. We strongly urge our consumers, retailers, and re-seller partners to implement the strap fastener solution to ensure the complete safety of our products."
The MamaRoo recall includes models that use a three-point harness, including versions 1.0 and 2.0 (model number 4M-005), version 3.0 (model number 1026), and version 4.0 (model number 1037). The newest MamaRoo model that uses a five-point harness, which was launched in July, is not included in the recall.
The swings and rockers were sold at BuyBuy Baby and Target as well as online through 4moms.com and Amazon from 2010 through August 2022 for between $160 and $250.
The free strap fastener is available via 4mom's website. Until it is installed, customers with crawling babies should immediately stop using the rocker and swing and store it somewhere inaccessible to babies.