Consumer Reports urges your company to immediately remove from sale all inclined products marketed for infant sleep. It has been more than a year since the recall of more than five million Fisher-Price and Kids II inclined sleepers associated with infant deaths. Today, inclined sleepers are linked to the deaths of at least 92 infants. They are not safe for infant sleep, according to American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, a government-commissioned study, and the harrowing experiences of families nationwide. The removal of all infant inclined sleep products and accessories from the market is essential to minimize consumer confusion around safe infant sleep practices and help parents and caregivers keep their babies safe.
With several infant inclined sleepers still on the market, Consumer Reports has urged manufacturers, retailers, and online marketplaces to take strong action for their customers. Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, eBay, and Walmart all have committed to remove the products from their store shelves and websites. We now urge your company to make the same commitment.
Consumers reasonably expect retailers and online marketplaces to ensure that all available products are safe, and any dangerous products are quickly removed from store shelves and websites. According to a 2019 Consumer Reports nationally representative survey, more than 90 percent of Americans say that “feeling a product or service is safe and will not cause them or their family members physical harm” is one of their high or top priorities. However, over the last year, some companies have attempted to keep infant inclined sleeper models on the market through minor marketing changes. These sleepers are rebranded as “loungers,” “rockers,” or similar products, but with little or no change to their design, and with confusing warning labels advising against using the product for “prolonged” or “unattended” sleep. This practice is fundamentally unreasonable and unacceptable because any duration of sleep at an incline puts babies at risk.
We urge your company to remove these products, to inform consumers of recalls, and to ensure that all infant sleep products made available conform to American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations. As you may know, retailers are required by federal law to act on information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a consumer product “contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard” or “creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.”
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention. In the interest of infant safety, we request a response no later than Tuesday, June 2.
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