NEW YORK — Fisher-Price has announced a recall for parts of over 2 million infant swings in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico due to significant risks of suffocation, following reports linking the product to five infant fatalities.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has alerted consumers that all models of Fisher-Price’s Snuga Swings must not be used for sleep or have any bedding materials added to them. According to the CPSC, the headrest and body support insert of the seats pose increased risks of suffocation.
Reports indicate that five infants aged between 1 to 3 months lost their lives when the swings were used as sleeping devices. The tragic incidents, occurring from 2012 to 2022, involved instances where additional bedding was introduced and the infants were not secured properly.
Fisher-Price urges consumers to promptly remove the headrest and body support insert from the swing to continue its use safely. As an incentive, the New York-based company, which is a subsidiary of the toy giant Mattel, is offering a $25 refund for those who comply by disposing of the recalled parts of their product. Detailed instructions for this process are available on Mattel’s recall support website.
CPSC Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr. has publicly criticized Fisher-Price, labeling the recall as “flawed,” and expressing that the proposed remedy is inadequate. He conveyed that the measures being taken “are doomed to fail and will keep many babies in harm’s way.” Moreover, he pointed out that the company is only recalling a portion of the swing while providing a meager refund compared to the original price of $160.
“My advice: take the $25 refund and dispose of this product; do not keep it in your home as it remains unsafe for infant sleep even after the supposed ‘repair’,” Trumka insisted. He also reflected on previous incidents involving the brand, mentioning prior recalls following infant deaths tied to Fisher-Price products like the “Rock ‘n Play” and “Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers.”
“Fisher-Price should know better than to skimp on another recall,” he emphasized. “The company has the capacity to implement more stringent measures to protect infants, and they need to step up.”
A representative from Mattel has not provided additional comments regarding the recall as of Friday.
The affected Fisher-Price Snuga Swings were sold at major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Toys R Us, and Target, across North America from October 2010 to January 2024. Approximately 2.1 million units were sold in the U.S., 99,000 in Canada, and around 500 in Mexico.
There are over 21 distinct models of Snuga Swings involved in the recall, manufactured in China and Mexico, available in a variety of colors and accompanied by different toy accessories. A complete list of the impacted models and their respective descriptions is included in the recall announcement made by the CPSC.
