Fisher-Price has issued a recall of more than 2 million Snuga Swings following the suffocation deaths of five infants, according to an announcement made on Thursday by the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The swings, sold nationwide, were recalled after being linked to fatalities involving infants who were placed in the products for sleep.
The recall affects all models of Snuga Swings, which were sold between October 2010 and January 2024 at retailers including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the now-defunct Toys R Us. Priced at approximately $160, around 2.1 million swings were sold in the United States, with an additional 99,000 units sold in Canada and 500 in Mexico.
Fisher-Price, a brand owned by Mattel, revealed that the five infant deaths occurred between 2012 and 2022. The infants, aged 1 to 3 months, suffocated when the swings were used for sleep. In most cases, the babies were not properly restrained, and additional bedding materials had been placed in the swings, increasing the risk of suffocation.
Consumers are being urged to immediately remove the headrest and body support insert from the swing’s seat pad by cutting the tether, and to refrain from using the swings for sleep or with bedding material. The company is offering a $25 refund to consumers who remove and destroy both the headrest and body support insert.
The CPSC emphasized the dangers of using inclined products like rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings for infant sleep, as they increase the risk of suffocation. The agency advises that parents and caregivers should never leave babies unattended or add bedding material to these products.
For more information on the recall, consumers can contact Fisher-Price toll-free at 855-853-6224 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. They can also visit the company’s website at www.service.mattel.com and navigate to the “Recall & Safety Alerts” section.
This recall follows a similar incident involving the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play sleeper, which was recalled in 2019 after being linked to around 100 infant deaths. Both incidents highlight the importance of ensuring that inclined products are not used for infant sleep or left unattended.