Fisher-Price Recalls Gliders After 4 Infant Deaths

(RTTNews) - New York-based childrens' toys giant Fisher-Price has recalled 227,000 4-in-1 Rock 'n Glide Soothers and 2-in-1 Soothe 'n Play Gliders, after the death of four children.

According to the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission, the infants were all placed on their backs and unrestrained but later rolled to their stomachs when placed in the gliders, causing suffocation. The company said all four deaths involved their 4-in-1 variant but they are calling back all variants of the Rock 'n Glide Soothers and Soothe 'n Play Gliders from Walmart, Target, and Amazon.

The incidents occurred between April 2019 and February 2020. Fisher-Price has asked its consumers to immediately stop using the recalled products and contact the company for a refund.

Acting Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Robert Adler said "Inclined products, such as gliders, soothers, rockers, and swings are not safe for infant sleep, due to the risk of suffocation."

The company owned by Mattel Inc. (MAT) has also launched a Safe-Start campaign to train the parents and caregivers to provide training for safe environments for sleep and the proper use of safety restraints on their products.

The safe-start campaign is going to have a series of videos and also information from experts on different social media platforms. As per the company statement on Friday, the videos will feature the likes of Dr. Laura Jana, Co-Chair of the Fisher-Price Medical and Scientific Safety Council, and Deb Weber, Ph.D., Director of the Fisher-Price Play Lab.

"The Safe Start educational campaign, as well the establishment of the Safety Council, is a strong reflection of our shared commitment to the safety, health, and development of babies and children," said Dr. Jana.

The company also formed the Medical and Scientific Safety Council (MSSC) to help parents and caregivers with security and safe sleep environment advice from renowned medical experts. "Fisher-Price takes its commitment to safety seriously, and the formation of the MSSC is an important demonstration of that commitment," said Joseph Vinhais, Senior VP, Quality and Safety for Mattel (MAT), the parent body of the brand.

Chuck Scothon, the general manager of Fisher-Price said "We continue this commitment with the Safe Start education campaign to help ensure our products are used safely for babies and children throughout all stages of their growth and development."