According to an online article posted on SunTimes.com, twelve more infants have tragically passed away in inclined infant sleepers that were recalled back in 2019. As a result, another recall announcement has been issued, and some people are blaming the manufacturers for not “getting the word out.” The number of fatalities has eclipsed 100.
Nancy Cowles, Kids in Danger’s Executive Director, helped push the federal government into banning the inclined sleepers for infants nationwide. Cowles is hopeful that the national recall on inclined sleepers was re-announced. However, she is upset that twelve more babies had to die in order for the recall to be re-announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. According to Cowles, manufacturers appear to wrongly think that it is the work of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to announce safety recalls.
The re-announced Consumer Product Safety Commission recall involves the same inclined baby sleepers that were initially recalled back in April of 2019. These include:
4.7 million Fisher-Price Rock’ n Play baby sleepers sold online and at big-box stores such as Target and Walmart from 2009 to 2019. The CPSC also recalled two similar products made by Fisher-Price, the 2–in-1 Soothe’ n Play Glider, and the 4-in-1 Rock’ n Glide Soother. These were recalled in 2021. The Newborn-to-Toddler Rocker and the Infant-to-Toddler Rocker were recalled in 2022.
694,000 Kids2 inclined baby sleepers that were sold nationwide between 2012 and 2019 were also recalled. There were fifteen deaths connected to these infant sleepers.
According to the report, many parents who were aware of the recalls did not understand that all inclined sleepers “are a deadly product for babies.” Safety advocates now want manufacturers to do more to educate the public using social media influencers and other marketing tools to make sure parents understand the risk of death with these recalled products.
The issue with these products is the angle at which the babies lie. At an angle of more than 10 degrees, a baby’s head can move forward, blocking its airway and causing asphyxiation. At the time of the recall, the number of fatalities was small. However, most people do not know to report these deaths to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety experts believe that most people do not even know what the Consumer Product Safety Commission is or what it does.
<p “>In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021. The act banned all infant sleepers that have a tilt of 10 degrees or more, no matter the manufacturer. It is against the law to sell inclined baby sleepers in the United States, including online. It is also illegal to donate inclined baby sleepers or sell them secondhand.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on their back, on a flat, firm surface inside a bassinet, crib, bassinet, or play yard that fulfills federal safety standards. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that the sleeping area does not have any extra bedding.
It is still being determined how many of the millions of banned inclined infant sleepers have been passed to friends and family or are still in people’s homes. Mattel indicates that only 9.5% of recalled Rock’ n Play infant sleepers are accounted for at this time. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is unable to do much more since a federal law gives manufacturers discretion as to how recalls are performed, and no law forces companies to disclose recall response rates.
According to Alexander Hoehn-Saric, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair, stated that Section 6(b) often delays conveying information to the public since manufacturers are given a chance to consider recall announcements. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Food and Drug Administration do not have to wait to issue a recall.
U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky stated that these companies spend millions of dollars on advertising, and they should not have any issue with providing the money necessary to protect consumers, especially children.
Parents are urged to always fill out product registration forms. That way, they can be informed of any safety recalls. It is also important that people avoid buying secondhand products for babies or children. The federal government’s website SaferProducts.gov provides a list of safety recalls.
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