Parents dread life without Rock ’n Play
Miana Tompkins, seen with her 4-month-old son, in
When Stacey Garska Rodriguez brought her second child home in July, there was no question about where the baby would nap: in a Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper in the family’s living room.
“It’s something just about every parent uses,” said Rodriguez, 34, whose older daughter, age 4, also used the cradle. “We all love it.”
So when Rodriguez heard this month that the popular baby item had been recalled following 32 infant deaths, she was “completely shocked.”
She had raved about the Rock ’n Play for years, written Va., stopped using the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play about it on her blog and it to friends.
“You use a product thinking it’s safe, and then news like this comes out and you realize, wow, maybe you dodged a bullet,” said Rodriguez, who runs a blog in Houston. “It’s scary, and you feel guilty that maybe you had this false sense of security.”
The recall of nearly 5 million Rock ’n Plays hit close to home for sleep-deprived parents who have turned to the Fisher-Price product for a moment of reprieve — or a night’s sleep — since it was introduced a decade ago. The clothcovered cradle, which vibrates, plays music and positions the baby at an incline. At recommended $40 to $150, it is a staple of baby registries and must-have lists. It is also sometimes recommended by pediatricians for infants with congestion or acid reflux.
But on April 12, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officially issued a recall, saying consumers should immediately stop using them. The American Academy of Pediatrics called the product “deadly,” and reiterated that infants should not sleep on products that are inclined or require restraining a baby. “Infants should always sleep on their back, on a separate, flat and firm sleep surface without any bumpers or bedding,” said Rachel Moon, who leads the group’s Task Force on SIDS.
The news set off a whirlwind of emotions for parents, who said they were shocked, frustrated and angered that the Rock ’n Play had remained on shelves so long. They were also confused, they said, that details of the incidents were difficult to come by. What exactly had happened?
Original reports had said that 10 babies, all older than 3 months, had died when they rolled over while unrestrained in the cradle. But earlier this month, a Consumer Reports investigation found that at least 32 children had died, including some younger than 3 months, who had died from asphyxia when they were unable to breathe cradle.
Fisher-Price is offering full cash refunds for Rock ’n Plays purchased in the past six months. Sleepers bought before that are eligible for a voucher toward a new FisherPrice product. The company said it will take three to four months to process the recalls, and is asking parents to disassemble their Rock n’ Plays and send back the two hub pieces that hold the cradle together.
“It feels like mental whiplash,” said Heather Lenox, 36, a mother of five in Cedarberg, Wis. “This is a product that’s supposed to be helpful, but now all of a sudden you’re telling me it’s harmful.” in the clothcovered