Heather Davis

Infant Inclined Sleepers Facing Massive Recalls

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My first son slept in a Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play inclined sleeper for about the first three months. And it was amazing. I strapped him and the sleeper rocked him and played him music and I got to have at least an hour without a child latched onto me. Perfection.

So, when my second son came along, my setup was ready to go—I had the same Rock and Play sleeper and had it set up beside my bed for weeks before Henry made his debut. And again, it was perfection.

Until about a month after Henry’s birth when Fisher Price recalled all 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play sleepers due to the risk of infant death.

When Fisher Price recalled all its Rock ‘n Play sleepers, it noted over 30 infant fatalities its product caused due to infants rolling over in the sleeper and suffocating and other circumstances.

Not every inclined sleeper, napper, or lounger has been recalled. But all of them pose a risk of death. Ongoing investigations found that all inclined sleepers increase the risk of suffocation because the sleepers, most of which position infants at an angle between 10 and 30 degrees, can allow a baby’s head to slump forward, blocking airflow, and making it easier for a bay to roll over into the sleeper’s sidewalls or head rest, which can inhibit good breathing.

Inclined sleepers are so prevalent in the marketplace and pose such a significant risk to infants that in October 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned caregivers not to use any inclined sleepers and took steps to ban the sleepers entirely. The House passed legislation towards that goal, and the Senate is now considering the legislation.

And I know this may seem like yet another point of parental judgment. I have two young kids—I get it. It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do, there is always someone to say you made the wrong decision. And when you find that holy grail that gets your baby to sleep, freeing you up to sleep or eat or shower or brush your hair because you can’t actually remember the last time you brushed your hair, you’re loathe to give it up. I know I was. Even with the recall—and even being a products liability attorney—I looked into it a lot before pulling Henry out of the Rock ‘n Play. But the investigations against inclined sleepers are stacking up significantly and more recalls seem to roll in every week (see the chart below). If you have any questions about these recalls, or if your child was injured in an inclined sleeper, let’s talk.

Since Fisher Price issued its massive recall, there have been a string of other inclined sleeper recalls, several of which have happened over the past few weeks. Consumer Reports compiled a list of every inclined sleeper recall issued:

 

PRODUCT NAME DATE RECALLED RECALL DETAILS
Baby Matters Nap Nanny and Chill Infant Recliners June 13, 2013 About 165,000 sleepers recalled after five infant deaths were linked to the products. A sixth death was reported after the recall, in 2014.
Delta Inclined Sleepers With Adjustable Feeding Position for Newborns Jan. 29, 2020 About 5,900 sleepers recalled because of infant fatalities linked to other similar products.
Dorel Juvenile Group’s Disney Baby Doze and Dream Bassinet and Eddie Bauer Slumber and Soothe Rock Bassinet July 31, 2019 About 24,000 sleepers recalled because of infant fatalities linked to other similar products.
Evenflo Pillo Portable Napper Jan. 29, 2020 (U.S.); June 4, 2019 (Canada) About 3,100 sleepers recalled in the U.S. because of infant fatalities linked to other similar products. About 1,100 recalled in Canada because it did not meet the country’s regulations for bassinets, cradles, and cribs.
Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper April 12, 2019 (U.S.); May 15, 2019 (Canada) About 4.7 million sleepers recalled in the U.S. because of more than 30 reported fatalities. In Canada, there were two recalls: one involving about 2,000 products sold from December 2009 to February 2011, the other involving about 600 products sold between January 2018 and April 2019. (The recall does not apply to Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Soothing Seats, almost identical products sold in Canada but not marketed for sleep.)
Fisher-Price inclined sleeper accessory sold with Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards June 27, 2019 About 71,000 sleepers recalled because of infant fatalities linked to other similar products.
Graco Little Lounger Rocking Seats Jan. 29, 2020 About 111,000 sleepers recalled because of infant fatalities linked to other similar products.
Kids II Rocking Sleepers, such as the Ingenuity Moonlight Rocking Sleeper and the Bright Starts Playtime to Bedtime Rocking Sleeper April 26, 2019 About 694,000 sleepers recalled after the company’s sleepers were linked to five infant fatalities.
Kolcraft Cuddle ‘n Care 2-in-1 Bassinet & Incline Sleepers and the Preferred Position 2-in-1 Bassinet & Incline Sleepers February, 20, 2020 About 51,000 inclined sleeper accessories sold with two bassinets because of infant fatalities linked to other similar inclined sleepers.
Sumr Brands SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleepers Jan. 29, 2020 About 46,300 sleepers recalled because of infant fatalities linked to other similar inclined sleepers.