Blumenthal, Schakowsky, & Cárdenas Lead Call for Swift Improvements to the Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Sleeper Recall Following More Infant Deaths
Last month, CPSC re-announced a recall of the dangerous Rock ‘n Play Sleeper after the product was linked to more infant deaths & millions more of the sleepers remain in American homes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) led a group of Members of Congress in raising alarm over the effectiveness of recall efforts for the deadly Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper and probed Fisher-Price’s parent company, Mattel, about its actions to remove the inclined sleepers from the market after the product was linked to more infant deaths.
“We write with serious concern over the effectiveness of recall efforts for dangerous infant inclined sleepers manufactured by your subsidiary Fisher-Price Inc., and request information about the actions you have taken to remove these deadly products off the market,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to Mattel CEO, Ynon Kreiz.
In January, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) re-announced the recall of the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper after it was linked to eight more infant deaths and as millions of these sleepers remain in Americans’ homes as well as on resale markets. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all infants sleep on flat and firm surfaces and warns parents about the risks associated with inclined sleepers.
The Members of Congress lambasted Mattel and Fisher-Price’s undermining of previous recall efforts through “failing to adequately notify consumers and continuing to downplay the dangers of the product” and called on the company to swiftly identify where these products remain—and act to ensure they are promptly removed to prevent more infant deaths.
“It is critical that Fisher-Price examine the source of the Rock ‘n Play Sleepers linked to the new deaths,” continued the lawmakers. “We urge Mattel to take further action to ensure these dangerous products are off the secondary market and out of consumer’s homes.”
The Member of Congress demanded the company answer a number of questions regarding its actions, writing: “We will not sit by while dangerous products continue to put babies at serious risk and rip families apart.”
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Darren Soto (D-FL).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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