Rockers Should Never Be Used For Sleep
Last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price warned consumers about recent deaths that occurred in their infant and newborn rockers. The headline read, in part, “Rockers Should Never Be Used For Sleep.”
Between 2009 and 2021 there have been at least 13 reported deaths in “Infant-to-Toddler Rockers” and “Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers”, according to MarketWatch. In a joint statement, Fisher-Price and CPSC said, “…infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the Rockers.” Infants that fall asleep in one of these Rockers (or in any upright or angled position in general) should be moved to a safe sleep environment.
Dr. Nilong Vyas, a pediatrician at Sleepless in NOLA and a medical review expert at SleepFoundation.org, said, “[The infant rockers] are dangerous because infants can get trapped in the seatbelts if they slide down when improperly fastened. More importantly when asleep, their heads can fall forward and compromise their airway.”
Pssst…check out CDC Report Reinforces Safe Sleep Practices for Infants
But parents shouldn’t toss their rockers just yet. Dr. Vyas added, “They can be used safely if the child is buckled properly, but only if the child is awake. If an infant is asleep, they should be placed into their crib on their back.” The more than 90-year-old company has sold more than 17 million Rockers worldwide since the 1990s.
The bottom line? The safest place for an infant to sleep is in their crib, on a firm mattress on their back, with nothing but a fitted sheet. That means no blankets, pillows, bumpers or even stuffed animals. Parents are encouraged to head to the Fisher-Price Safe Start page for more information and guidance on sleep safety, bath safety, safe play practices, and more. Also, consumers should report any incidents that occurred while infants were in their products directly to Fisher-Price by calling 800-432-5437.
Pssst…check out 10 Mistakes Parents Make in the First Year