At least 14 babies have died while cradled in Fisher-Price and Kids2 bouncers in the past 12 years, a government watchdog has revealed.
Between 2009 and 2021, there were a total of 13 baby deaths on two Fisher Price rockers — dubbed Infant-to-Toddler and Newborn-to-Toddler.
One death was recorded on a Kids2 rocker – dubbed Bright Stars – in 2019.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission suggested the deaths were due to babies suffocating while they slept in the reclined chairs.
It warned parents never to let children sleep in swings, and reiterated that the best place for them to sleep is on a firm, flat surface — like a crib.
Commissioner Richard Trumka, who led the investigation, said Fisher-Price blocked that release for two months when it refused its release authorization.
It’s the second time this company’s rockers have been implicated in infant deaths, after another was recalled in 2019 when it was linked to more than 30 deaths.
Fisher-Price infant-to-toddler bouncers (left and center) and Newborn-to-toddler Fisher-Price bouncers (right) have been warned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission after being linked to 14 deaths over the past 12 years
The Kids2 rocker known as Bright Stars was also cautioned after a fatality was recorded in the reclined chair in 2019
How should my baby sleep?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned parents never to let their children sleep in a bouncer in case they choke on it.
Instead, it says they should follow this guide:
- The best place for an infant to sleep is on a firm, flat surface, such as a desk. B. in a cot;
- Parents and carers should only use a fitted sheet and never add blankets, pillows, padded bumpers or other items;
- Infants should always sleep on their backs;
- Infants who fall asleep in a prone or upright position should be placed in a safe sleeping environment.
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The agency revealed the deaths after spotting a pattern in deaths linked to the three rockers.
The children’s ages, the state they lived in, or the cause of death were not disclosed.
None of the affected products have been recalled.
However, a warning has been issued to remind parents of the risks of letting their child sleep in a bouncer.
It says parents should learn about safety tips for the reclined chairs, including never leaving a child unattended in them or giving a baby bedding material while they’re in them.
They add that all incidents should be reported immediately for investigation.
Regarding the cause of death, the agency said: ‘Parents and caregivers should never use tilted products such as bouncers, glides, pacifiers and swings for infant sleep, and should not leave infants unattended, unhindered or with bedding in these products ‘due to the risk of suffocation.’
Fisher-Price has sold more than 17 million rockers worldwide since the 1990s, they said.
For comparison, Kids2 has sold more than 1.8 million since 2012.
Agency chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric said they issued the alert to remind parents to never use bouncers for infant sleep.
“Babies should never be left unattended or untied in swings, glides, pacifiers or swings,” he said.
Trumka said, “Just three years ago, this agency oversaw the recall of Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play following a staggering number of infant deaths.
“Tragically, we are now mourning 13 more infant deaths in Fisher Price rockers.”
He added: “When [we] needs to warn the public about a pattern of death and injury associated with a product, it should be able to issue that warning quickly to prevent further deaths.
“Instead, a gag rule prevents us from doing so without first obtaining permission from the manufacturer of the product.
“Here the gag rule delayed our message to the public by two months.”
It’s the second time Fisher-Price has been hit by problems with its rockers, after its Rock ‘n Play chairs were linked to 30 deaths in 2019. The products have been recalled
Fisher-Price had to recall five million of its Rock ‘n Play sleepers in 2019 after they were linked to infant deaths.
But after a year, only 8 percent of those recalled had returned to the company.
It’s common to have low response rates for consumer recalls, with less than 10 percent of products being returned on average.
This may be due to some people simply throwing the products away or because manufacturers don’t publicize that a recall is occurring.
Fisher-Price and Kids2 did not respond to a request for comment from .