A voluntary recall of more than 2 million infant rockers and swings has been issued after the baby products were linked to entanglement and strangulation hazards and at least one death.
On Monday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and 4moms, the company behind the baby products, announced the voluntary recall of about 2 million MamaRoo swings and 220,000 RockaRoo rockers, which were sold at Target and Best Buy and online at 4moms.com and Amazon, due to safety issues posed.
According to the CPSC, the rockers and swings posed an issue when not in use due to the hanging restraint straps, which could entangle crawling infants.
“When the swing or rocker is not in use, their restraint straps can hang below the seat and non-occupant crawling infants can become entangled in the straps, posing entanglement and strangulation hazards,” the CPSC noted.
The agency also noted that 4moms received two reports of entanglement incidents involving infants who became caught in straps under the MamaRoo infant swings after they crawled under the seats. One of the instances involved a 10-month-old infant who died from asphyxiation, while the other involved a 10-month-old infant who suffered bruising to the neck before being rescued by a caregiver, the CPSC said.
According to the CPSC, no incidents involving the RockaRoo have been reported.
Under the recall, customers who purchased MamaRoo models that use a three-point harness: versions 1.0 and 2.0 (model number 4M-005), version 3.0 (model number 1026), and version 4.0 (model number 1037), or the RockaRoo model with 4M-012 located on the bottom of the rocker, are instructed to stop using the swings and rockers and “place them in an area where crawling infants cannot access”.
In a statement to ABC News, Gary Waters, the CEO of 4moms, said the company was “deeply saddened” by the incidents.
“Families put their trust in our company when they choose to bring our products into their homes. That’s why we take every precaution and make the extra effort to ensure that our baby gear products not only meet but exceed all applicable safety standards,” he added.
According to CPSC, consumers who own the rockers and swings should contact 4moms “immediately” to register for a “free strap fastener that will prevent the straps from extending under the swing when not in use”.
The Independent has contacted 4moms for comment.
