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Fisher-Price rockers linked to at least 13 child deaths, US regulators say

By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

EAST AURORA, N.Y. — More than a dozen child deaths have been linked to certain Fisher-Price and Kids2 baby and infant rockers during the past decade, prompting Tuesday warnings from the U.S. Product Safety Commission.

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According to the independent regulatory agency, at least 13 reported deaths between 2009 and 2021 have been linked to Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler and Newborn-to-Toddler rockers, Fox Business reported.

Meanwhile, a separate Tuesday notice confirmed at least one infant death linked to a Bright Starts Rocker, sold by Kids2 in 2019.

Fisher-Price has sold more than 17 million of the rockers worldwide since the 1990s, while Kids2 has sold more than 1.8 million since 2012, CBS News reported.

In its warnings, which also singled out Kids2′s Baby Einstein Rocker, the commission cautioned parents and caregivers that the rockers “should never be used for sleep, and infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the rockers.”

In addition, both notices warned parents and caregivers to not use inclined products, such as gliders, soothers or swings for infant sleep due to suffocation risks, but the agency did not specify particular products.

According to CBS News, the commission recently finalized a rule, which takes effect June 22, requiring infant sleep products to have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or less.

In 2021, a House committee determined that Fisher-Price ignored warnings about its Rock ‘n Play inclined sleepers, which were on the market for around 10 years before a 2019 recall. Those products were linked to more than 30 infant deaths, the network reported.

The commission also offered the following safety tips for parents and caregivers:

  • The best place for an infant to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard.
  • Use a fitted sheet only, and never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers or other items to an infant’s sleeping environment.
  • Infants should always be placed to sleep on their backs. Infants who fall asleep in an inclined or upright position should be moved to a safe sleep environment with a firm, flat surface such as a crib, bassinet or play yard.

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