The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reissued recalls for more than 5.3 million Fisher-Price and Kids2 rocking play sleepers after additional infants died in the sleepers since the initial recall.
Fisher-Price recalled its Rock ‘n Play Sleepers and Kids2 recalled all its sleepers back in April 2019 in response to 35 reported deaths associated with these products. Since then, an additional 12 fatalities have occurred, prompting the CPSC and the manufacturers to reissue this vital warning again after their removal from the marketplace and a ban on their sale.
“I urge all parents, grandparents and caregivers to follow the guidance of this announcement and stop using these products immediately, ” CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “Also, it is illegal to sell or distribute recalled consumer products, including on the resale market.”
Since that initial recall four years ago, Congress has passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which specifically outlawed sleepers for infants that have an incline of more than 10 degrees.
The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also reiterated guidance that the safest place for babies to sleep is on a firm, flat surface on their backs. That could be in a crib, play yard, bassinet or bedside sleeper.
Unsafe sleep spots include inclined sleepers, swings, bouncers, rockers, slings and carriers. That’s because a baby who falls asleep in an upright position can get trapped rolling from his stomach to one side, or his chin can restrict his airway when it rests on his chest.
A safe sleep environment helps reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID), which sadly affects about 3,400 babies each year in the United States.
“Rock ‘n Plays have been dangerous since day one”, says Gina Posner, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician in Fountain Valley, California. “People always think that it will never happen to them until it does. There are plenty of safe sleep surfaces that you can put your infant in. Why take chances?”
Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Plays and Kids2 sleepers were sold at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon through April 2019. Customers should stop using these products immediately and can contact either manufacturer for a refund. If you have a Rock ‘n Play or Kids2 sleeper, you should dispose of it; you should not resell it or give it to another family.
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This article originally appeared on What to Expect.