[imagesource:uscpc]

Following a 2019 recall of 4,7 million units of their Rock ‘n Play Sleeper (above), Fisher-Price has now confirmed that despite the initially reported deaths of 30 toddlers, there has been a further 70 deaths attributed to the deadly product.

The company has urged all parents who might have bought the sleeper to please discontinue using it after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed the 100 fatalities.

The US agency bemoaned the delay in issuing a recall, stating on its website:

‘Gag Rules block us from issuing warnings without first seeking  permission from the product’s maker. Here, the Gag Rule delayed our message to the public by 2 months. Even with cooperation from Fisher-Price, we fought an uphill battle to release this  information to warn parents and caregivers.’

The Rock n Pay Sleeper is designed to allow babies to sleep on an incline, but the product also allowed babies to roll over onto their sides or stomach and thus run the risk of suffocation.

Inclined sleepers have consistently been rejected by paediatricians, with the US government banning inclined sleepers for infants last year. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that:

‘Infants only sleep on flat, non-inclined surfaces without soft bedding. They should ideally be placed on their backs.’

Mattel, the owners of Fisher-Price have asked that parents who may have purchased their product before the recall to please contact them for a refund. They have urged parents to not use the sleeper.

According to The Philly Voice, this is not the only sleeper that has been recalled in recent times. The Kids2 Rocking Sleeper was recalled last week due to the deaths of 15 infants that can be attributed to their product.

Parents are advised to ensure registering any products they buy online with the manufacturer so that a recall can be done effectively and so that everyone can be timeously informed.

The Rock n Play Sleeper was sold for nearly a decade by most major US retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Target before its recall.

[source:phillyvoice&uscpc]