Fisher-Price recalls 2 million ‘Snuga Swings’ after five infant deaths
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Fisher-Price is offering consumers $25 in the recall, though the swings sold for about $160.
PHOTO: US CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION/FACEBOOK
After at least five infants died while sleeping in a product made by Fisher-Price, the company has recalled more than two million units of the product, the Snuga Swing, because it poses a suffocation risk, according to the recall.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price announced the recall on Oct 10.
There were reports that five infants, who were a month to three months old, had died between 2012 and 2022 while the product was being used for sleep, the recall said.
“In most of those incidents, the infants were unrestrained and bedding materials were added to the product,” it said.
The recall said the product should never be used for sleep and that consumers should immediately remove the headrest and the body support insert before “continuing to use the swing for awake-time activities”.
However, a commissioner of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Mr Richard Trumka Jr, said in a statement that the latest recall was “doomed to fail and will keep many babies in harm’s way”.
“Merely warning parents to stop using these products for sleep now will not be as effective as removing them from homes and day cares,” he said. “Fisher-Price cannot un-ring the bell. Dangerous products will remain in homes after this recall.”
He said Fisher-Price is offering consumers US$25 (S$32) in the recall, though the swings sold for about US$160.
“I fear that this dangerous approach will keep babies at risk of death just to save Fisher-Price money – a horrible example of putting profit over people,” Mr Trumka added.
He said that consumers should throw the swings away. He also noted that past recalls or warnings about other types of infant swings have not stopped deaths from happening.
Since 2010, more than 2.1 million Snuga Swings have been sold in the US, about 99,000 were sold in Canada and another 500 in Mexico, according to the recall.
Mattel has an online guide for consumers who want to know whether their swing is included in the recall. A list of affected products is also on the commission’s website. NYTIMES
