Fisher-Price’s Rock n’ Glide Soother has been recalled after four infants died while using the device, apparently after suffocating in their sleep. Reports indicate that the babies were placed in the product unrestrained, and while they may have started on their backs, all four were found to have eventually rolled over onto their stomachs. The fatalities include a four-month-old, two two-month olds, and an 11-week-old.
The deaths and subsequent recall also triggered the company to voluntarily recall its Soothe n’ Play Glider, although no deaths or injuries have yet been attributed to the product.
The baby sleep product market has not been kind to Fisher-Price, as these two products are not the only ones recalled by the company after infants died while using them. 2019 saw the recall of the Rock n’ Play sleeper. Some 30 deaths had been attributed to the product since its 2009 release, and the deaths all occurred as a result of the same issue as the Rock n’ Glide – the infants were able to roll over from their backs onto their stomachs.
While the Rock n’ Glide product may have been available for sale in the United States, other countries were not so welcoming. In some cases, such as Australia, parents had actually been warned to “keep the product away from children.” Canadian regulations specifically called for the Rock n’ Play to not be used for unattended sleep.
In issuing the recall of the Rock n’ Glide, Fisher-Price also sent a message that it believed that the deaths associated with the use of its products were due to negligence on the part of the parents who bought them. “There is nothing more important to Fisher-Price than the safety of our products and the trust that families put in us,” said Fisher-Price general manager Chuck Scothon. “We are committed to educating parents and caregivers on the safe use of all of our products, including the importance of following all warnings and instructions to ensure the health and safety of babies and children.”
