US safety regulator issues warnings about certain baby rockers following 14 deaths

By Amanda Maile

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued warnings Tuesday after at least 14 deaths in recent years related to child rockers.

The warnings covered certain Fisher-Price and Kids2 rockers, and the agency warned consumers to not let their children sleep in the products.

CPSC reported at least 13 deaths between 2009 and 2021 of infants in Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers. It also reported one death in 2019 of an infant in a Kids2 Bright Starts Rocker.

“Parents and caregivers should never use inclined products, such as rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings, for infant sleep and should not leave infants in these products unsupervised, unrestrained, or with bedding material, due to the risk of suffocation,” CPSC said.

CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Kids2 are alerting consumers to at least one reported death in 2019 of an infant in a Bright Starts Rocker. Kids2 Bright Starts and Baby Einstein Rockers should never be used for sleep and infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the Rockers.

There are about 3,400 sleep-related deaths among babies each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- a number the health agency says includes deaths due to "sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation in a sleeping environment and other deaths from unknown causes."

"Fisher-Price recommends consumers visit Fisher-Price’s Safe Start webpage at www.fisherprice.com/SafeStart for safety videos, tips and additional safety information, as well as the latest safety warnings for Rockers and other infant products," the company said in the CPSC statement Tuesday. The company added that its committed to the safety of its products.

Kids2 said in a statement on CPSC's website that it encourages consumers to report incidents to the company and that its "number one priority is the safety and well-being of the babies and families who love and use our products."

The CDC advises placing babies on their back for all sleep times; using a firm surface such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib; keeping soft bedding, pillows, bumper pads and soft toys out of the baby’s sleeping area; and having the baby sleep in the same room as a parent, but not in the bed.

A final rule issued by CPSC will go into effect later this month requiring sleep products to have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or less, and that all sleep products conform to the existing bassinet, crib, or play yard standards.

“Your infant’s sleep environment should be the safest place in your home,” CPSC Chair Alex Hoen-Saric said Tuesday.

Fisher-Price and Kids2 did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment.