Consumer Reports (CR) called on Mattel and Fisher-Price to launch a recall addressing safety concerns associated with its baby rockers after a 6-month-old baby died in an infant-to-toddler rocker in November 2023, according to a release.
Mattel, the parent company of Fisher-Price, did not respond to CR requests for comment on the incidents and on whether the company would issue a recall.
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It is heartbreaking to learn that a Fisher-Price infant rocker is tied to yet another infant death. Safety warnings can help keep the public informed, but too often, they are not enough on their own. Mattel and Fisher-Price have utterly failed to protect the babies and families who rely on their products, and the consequences are devastating. Fisher-Price must recall these rockers to get as many of them as possible out of people’s homes.
Oriene Shin, policy counsel for Consumer Reports
In 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price issued a warning notice about not using the rockers for sleep after reports of at least 13 infant deaths between 2009 and 2021 related to the products, according to the release. CR said it also found an incident report from March 2023 described as a close call with no injury.
CR said it recommends that parents and caregivers take extra caution to make sure a baby in a rocker stays awake and to move an infant that falls asleep to a crib, bassinet, or play yard. Inclined products are not safe for any infant sleep, including supervised sleep or napping.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said that babies should be placed alone on a firm flat surface in their own space with a fitted sheet and no added items like blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or toys in the sleeping area, CR noted.