Millions of Baby Rockers Recalled After Infant Deaths

Key Takeaways

• Two major brands, Fisher-Price and Kids2, are recalling millions of rocking sleepers after infant deaths.

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• This is the second recall issued for these products, the first coming back in .
• Babies should never fall asleep in a rocker, but it's OK to set your baby down in one.

Two of the country's biggest baby brands are recalling millions of rocking sleepers urging parents to stop using them immediately. The recall involves all models of Fisher-Price Rock n' Play sleepers and all models of Kids2 Rocking Sleepers. There have been numerous reports of infant deaths associated with the use of these rockers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the babies died after rolling from their backs to their stomachs or side while unrestrained.

This isn't the first time these products have been recalled. The first recalls came in April . But parents were still using the rockers, and sadly more babies have died since that original recall. The CPSC, Fisher-Price, and Kids2 have now re-announced the recall in order to get these products out of families' homes. Here's what parents need to know and how to find out whether you have one of these recalled rockers.

Fisher-Price Recalls 4.7 Million Rock 'n Play Sleepers

When Fisher-Price first announced the recall of the Rock 'n Play Sleepers on April 12, , the CPSC says there were more than 30 reports of babies dying while using them. After that initial recall was announced, the CPSC says 70 more deaths were reported. That includes at least eight deaths since the recall. However, Fisher-Price says it has not been able to confirm all of the circumstances surrounding all of the reported incidents.

Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper.

The Rock 'n Play sleepers were sold between September and April at stores across the country including Walmart and Target. They were also sold online at Amazon. They cost between $40 and $149 depending on the model. It is important to remember it is illegal to sell or even resell these items due to the recall.

In an undated statement on its website, Fisher-Price says it has made the safety of children its highest priority for 90 years. "We want parents around the world to know that safety will always be a cornerstone of our mission, that we are committed to these values and will continue to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of the infants and preschoolers who utilize our products," the statement says.

What Should I Do If I Have A Rock 'n Play Sleeper?

If you have a Rock 'n Play Sleeper, you should immediately stop using it. You can contact Fisher-Price for a refund or voucher by calling their hotline at 866-812-. Their hotline hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. You can also go online to Fisher-Price's recall page for more information.

Kids2 Recalls 694,000 Rocking Sleepers

It's a similar story with the Kids2 Rocking Sleepers. The CPSC and Kids2 originally recalled them in April . At that time, five deaths had been reported as a result of babies rolling from their backs to stomachs while unrestrained in the rockers. There's been a total of 15 deaths reported, four since the original recall. Like Fisher-Price, Kids2 says it hasn't been able to confirm the circumstances of the deaths in some of the reports.

Ingenuity Moonlight Rocking Sleeper Cuddle Giraffe.

The Kids2 Rocking Sleepers were sold across the country at Walmart, Target, Toys "R" Us, and online from March through April . They cost between $40 and $80. The K2 Rocking Sleepers were sold under several brand names including Bright Starts, Ingenuity, and DreamComfort. As with Fisher-Price, it is illegal to sell or even resell these items due to the recall.

What Should I Do If I Have A Kids2 Rocker?

If you believe you have a Kids2 Rocking Sleeper, you can confirm it with the model number. Kids2 is recalling all 36 models. The model number is printed on the smallest sewn-in label, which is attached to the seat pad.

Example of label showing model number of Kids2 Rocking Sleeper.

If you have a Rocking Sleeper, you should stop using it immediately. You can contact Kids2 for a refund. Call 866-869- between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. You can also head to the company's recall website for more information.

Should I Throw Out My Infant Rocker?

Rockers keep babies calm because they are so comfortable. Infants enjoy feeling snug and being in a slightly inclined position. But, rockers can be a little too comfortable. If they lull your little one to sleep, they aren't safe. If a baby falls asleep at an incline, their head may lull forward, compressing the windpipe. Then, if the infant does not have the neck strength to reposition and they are unable to arouse themselves to call for help, it can lead to death by positional asphyxiation.

You may be wondering if you should even get a baby rocker. If you have one, you may be questioning whether you should get rid of it entirely. Maybe, but not necessarily.

"Rockers may be used to place the infant in during the day when awake and buckled appropriately," says Nilong Vyas, MD, a pediatrician at Sleepless in NOLA and Medical Review Expert at Sleep Foundation. "However, if the parent will be tempted to use these devices overnight or during a nap if these devices are in the home, then it would be best to remove them."

Nilong Vyas, MD

If the parent will be tempted to use [infant rockers] overnight or during a nap, then it would be best to remove them from the home.

&#; Nilong Vyas, MD

Are Rockers Safe for Newborns?

It's probably not a good idea to put your newborn in a rocker unless it's just for a moment. "The problem is that there is very little time that the newborn is awake, other than when they're eating," notes Heather Wallace, a certified pediatric sleep consultant, postpartum doula, and the owner of BraveHeart Sleep Training and Postpartum Doula Counseling. "So a few minutes after you set your newborn in the rocker he could very well drift off to sleep. When parents are exhausted and desperate they are more at risk for using an unsafe sleeping arrangement."

Link to Tacviw

As your baby gets older, they will begin to stay awake for longer periods. Their sleep patterns will also become more apparent. A 4-month-old who just woke from a nice, long morning nap and drank 4 ounces of milk will probably be up and alert for a good hour and a half. If you need to use the rocker to cook dinner or attend to another child, choose a time you're pretty sure your baby won't fall asleep. However, always supervise your baby in a rocker.

Heather Wallace, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Postpartum Doula

When parents are exhausted and desperate they are more at risk for using an unsafe sleeping arrangement.

&#; Heather Wallace, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Postpartum Doula

Although your baby can spend some awake time in a rocker, also be aware that babies should only spend a limited amount of time in containment devices. This includes rockers, bouncers, car seats, and high chairs. Too much time in containment devices can impede physical development, so they should only be used when needed.

Safe Sleep for Babies

The AAP advises parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs in a crib, bassinet, or play yard. The baby should be the only thing in the sleep space other than a pacifier. There should be no blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals. Babies should sleep in the same room, but never the same bed, as the parents.

In June , the AAP updated its guidelines for the first time since . The update further emphasizes the dangers of any bed-sharing and putting your baby to sleep in any product that does not meet the CPSC standards for safe sleep, especially products that are not flat and firm. This includes inclined baby rockers.

The new guidelines also say weighted swaddles or anything weighted to help baby sleep should not be used. Parents may swaddle their baby in a standard receiving blanket from birth, but this practice should be discontinued as soon as the baby shows signs of rolling or when they reach 8 weeks of age, whichever comes first.

What This Means For You

Falling asleep in an inclined rocker is dangerous for babies. It can lead to death by positional asphyxiation. It's OK to put your infant down in a rocker for short periods of time, but only if you supervise them and make sure that they do not fall asleep. If you don't think your baby can stay awake in a rocker, you should not use it. Newborns sleep most of the time, so it's best not to use rockers at this age unless it's only for a minute or two. Also, make sure to double-check that you don't have one of the recalled Fisher-Price or Kids2 Rockers in your household. If you do, stop using it immediately.

This article is part of &#;Death by Delay,&#; a series on how consumer product hazards have cost lives.

The U.S. agency that oversees consumer products decided Wednesday to advance the first federal safety regulations for infant rockers, which are linked to the deaths of nearly a dozen babies. 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously to move forward with the proposal developed by its staff, which was unveiled last month. The recommendations come after the agency tallied 11 deaths that were associated with the reclined seats from to , most of which happened after infants fell asleep in them.

CPSC staff found that the popular products were also associated with 88 injuries in that 12-year period. In many of the cases, infants hurt their heads after rockers tipped over.

The newly proposed rules aim to reduce the risk of suffocation, strangulation and tip-overs in rockers. They would require rockers to be firmer and flatter to prevent infants from suffocating, and to pass stability and other safety tests. Rockers would also need prominent warning labels urging caregivers not to allow babies to sleep in them, and not to put soft bedding around babies in the products.

&#;I believe that this rule can have a real impact on the safety of these products,&#; CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said at Wednesday morning&#;s vote.

The regulations must go through public comment and review before they are finalized.

Infant rocker manufacturers Fisher-Price, Kids2 and Béaba did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a letter last year to Congress obtained by NBC News, Fisher-Price defended its rockers, saying they were safe when parents monitored their babies and properly restrained them. 

4moms, another manufacturer, said in a statement that it supports the creation of a federal safety standard and &#;looks forward to reviewing and providing feedback on the proposed rule.&#; The company makes an infant rocker that was recalled last year because of a potential strangulation hazard, but says no incidents have been linked to the product.

Rockers are designed to calm babies by swaying them back and forth, either by hand or automatically. Some vibrate or have other soothing features. 

Before the vote, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. proposed amending the plan to restrict rockers from being used by infants younger than 6 months and to prohibit &#;the inclusion of soothing features such as vibrations or calming sounds&#; that could encourage babies to fall asleep. 

While the proposal &#;tries to make rockers safer for sleeping babies, it does not take steps to dissuade sleep in rockers in the first place,&#; he said.

Trumka&#;s amendment was rejected by the three other commissioners, who said that the process of formally amending the proposal would delay the safety rules. Instead, the CPSC voted to ask the public to comment on the safety concerns that Trumka flagged.

Cathy Greninger, whose 4-month-old granddaughter Savannah Savage died in a Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker in , said after the CPSC&#;s meeting that she was glad to see the agency finally take action.

&#;This is a long time coming to get these safety standards in place,&#; she said. &#;I think it should have been done years and years ago.&#; 

Cathy Greninger holds her granddaughter, Savannah.

Courtesy Cathy Greninger

Savannah died at home in Amarillo, Texas, after sleeping in the rocker overnight, which the family did not know was against the manufacturer&#;s instructions, Greninger said. A version of Fisher-Price&#;s instruction manual said the rocker was &#;not intended for unsupervised or prolonged periods of sleep.&#; 

According to a local justice of the peace, a forensic pathologist ruled that Savannah died of probable positional asphyxia, which can happen when babies are slouched forward or arched backward, cutting off their airflow. 

While Greninger was hopeful that the proposed rules would save babies, she said she was disappointed that the commissioners voted against including a ban on vibrating features. 

&#;They need to be banned from having the soothers on them so that the babies don&#;t fall asleep as easily in them,&#; she said. &#;Because, you know, that&#;s what they do. They fall asleep.&#;

Fisher-Price did not respond to requests for comment on Savannah&#;s death. 

The CPSC and Fisher-Price issued a joint warning in June saying that 13 babies had died in the company&#;s Infant-to-Toddler and Newborn-to-Toddler rockers from to . The CPSC also issued a warning that same month with another manufacturer, Kids2, saying that one baby had died in that company&#;s Bright Starts rocker. Both statements cautioned against using rockers, swings and other inclined seats for sleep. 

In its letter to Congress last year, Fisher-Price said that in at least 11 of the 13 incidents, infants were left unattended, and that in at least six cases, the babies were not properly restrained in the rockers. 

Rockers are distinct from inclined sleepers like the Fisher-Price Rock &#;n Play, which was recalled in and has been reportedly linked to about 100 deaths. 

But both products place babies on an inclined surface, which research shows could put them at higher risk of suffocation, Trumka said at Wednesday&#;s meeting. The public will be asked to comment on whether rockers should be more level, to make them safer if babies fall asleep, or more upright to help keep babies awake.

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