Lawmakers urge recall of Fisher-Price rockers linked to infant death

During those infant stages, sometimes you feel like you will do anything to get them to sleep, or if you have any prayer of getting anything done around the house. If you choose not to baby wear, many parents often use a baby containment device, such as a swing or a bouncer. Unfortunately over the years it’s been shown that the popular Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers are unsafe for babies, causing 14 infant deaths associated with the rockers since 2009.

According to Consumer Reports, these rockers haven’t been pulled and are still for sale. But three lawmakers are urging federal regulators to take these rockers off the market for good.

Per Consumer Reports, there was a letter sent to the chair of the CPSC, Hoehn-Saric, on March 14. The letter was co-signed by Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.

Described in the letter is what the Senators “see as the hazards inherent in the design of these products,” according to the publication. 

“While rockers are not designed for sleep, their soothing features, such as vibrations or calming sounds, can encourage babies to fall asleep,” the letter stated. “This can pose serious risks for infants, including suffocation, positional asphyxia, and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).”

The senators also gave credit to the CPSC for the current steps it’s taken to keep infants safe, including informing parents how to safely use the rockers, but the letter states these efforts are no longer enough. They need to be completely recalled. 

“We cannot continue to stand by as unsuspecting parents and innocent babies are put in preventable danger,” the Senators wrote.

The letter also touched on another Fisher-Price baby containment device—the Rock ‘n Play reclined sleeper. This was actually marketed to be used for sleep, but a Consumer Reports investigation in 2019 revealed that dozens of infant deaths had occurred in these sleepers as they stayed on the market for a decade, according to the publication.

In 2021, the House Oversight Committee had found  that “Mattel had failed to research whether its . . . sleeper was safe for overnight sleep before bringing the product to market in 2009,” Consumer Reports reported. “Even after being made aware that the product was not safe for overnight sleep, Mattel continued to market the Rock ’n Play for sleep until CPSC recalled the product in 2019.”

The three senators asked the CPSC for more information regarding the incidents that have occurred in these rockers and other similar rockers from other companies and asked the agency if they would consider adding a minimum age requirement to the rockers. 

Infants under 4 months old lack the ability to move their heads on their own, which makes these rockers unsafe for them to be left in unattended or for an extended amount of time.