About 100 infants have died while using Fisher-Price's Rock 'n Play Sleepers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday as it once again urged parents not to use the once-popular piece of baby gear.
The sleeper was first recalled in April 2019, and at that time 30 deaths were linked to it. Infants were able to roll from their back to their stomach or side when unrestrained or under other circumstances, causing them to suffocate. The original recall included 4.7 million sleepers, and consumers were urged to stop using them immediately and seek a refund from Fisher-Price.
On Monday, the commission revealed that 70 more deaths have been linked to the sleeper, which was sold at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon from September 2009 until the 2019 recall. Eight of those deaths took place after the initial recall announcement.
Mattel, Fisher-Price's parent company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a 2019 news release, Kyle Yasuda, then-president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that pediatricians have recommended against inclined sleepers for many years because they "contradict AAP's own evidence-based safe sleep recommendations." Doctors recommend that babies be put down to sleep on their backs on a flat surface, without any blankets, pillows, or soft toys.
But for years, Fisher-Price marketed the Rock 'n Play as a safe place for infants to sleep, suggesting it could even ease fussiness. It became hugely popular.
“Having these dangerous and unnecessary products on store shelves confuses parents and contributes to sleep-related infant deaths," Yasuda said in 2019.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also announced a renewed recall of Kids2 Rocking Sleepers on Tuesday for the same reason as the Rock 'n Play — 15 infants died while using the product and rolling from their backs to their stomachs. Eleven infants died before the initial recall in April 2019, and four have died since.
In 2021, Boppy recalled its newborn lounger after eight infants died of suffocation while using it, and in late 2022, MamaRoo baby swings were recalled after one baby died and another sustained injuries to their neck.