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CPSC announced the recall following reports of four infant deaths: a 4-month-old from Missouri, 2-month-olds from Nevada and Michigan, and an 11-week-old from Colorado. [1] Acting Chairman Robert Adler stated inclined products like gliders, soothers, rockers and swings are unsafe for infant sleep due to suffocation risk. [1]
Four Infant Suffocation Deaths
Deaths occurred between April 2019 and February 2020 in the 4-in-1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother. No deaths were reported in the 2-in-1 Soothe ‘n Play Glider, which was recalled as a precautionary measure.
Infants Rolled from Back to Stomach
All four victims were placed on their backs unrestrained and later found facedown. The incline and lack of restraints enabled infants to roll before developing this mobility on flat surfaces.
Suffocation in Inclined Products
Inclined sleeping surfaces cause infants’ heads to fall forward, restricting airways. Soft fabric and angled positioning create suffocation hazards when combined with infant rolling.
Unrestrained Placement
Parents placed infants in the products without fastening safety harnesses. Unrestrained infants can shift positions, roll over, and become trapped against product fabric.
Recalled Model Numbers
4-in-1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother models: CHP56, CHP55, CBT81. 2-in-1 Soothe ‘n Play Glider models: GDD28, GDD39, GDD41, GGW85, GNX43, GVG43, HBD26, HBD27.
Two Use Modes
Products function as powered glider seats and infant rockers. Both modes allow head-to-toe or side-to-side motion while maintaining dangerous inclined angles.
Sold at Major Retailers
Products sold at Walmart, Target, Amazon.com, juvenile product stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide. The 4-in-1 Soothers sold January 2014-December 2020 for $108; 2-in-1 Gliders sold November 2018-May 2021 for $125.
Canadian Distribution
Approximately 25,000 4-in-1 Soothers and 27,000 2-in-1 Gliders distributed in Canada. Canadian infants face identical suffocation risks from inclined sleeping positions.
Refund Remedy Offered
Fisher-Price offered refunds to consumers who stopped using recalled products. Consumers contact Fisher-Price at service.mattel.com or 855-853-6224 for refund processing.
Design Defect in Incline Angle
Inclined sleeping surfaces are inherently defective for infant sleep products. Safe infant sleep requires firm, flat surfaces preventing positional asphyxiation.
Inadequate Restraint System
Products marketed for infant use without mandatory restraints create foreseeable dangers. Parents cannot be expected to continuously monitor sleeping infants to prevent rolling.
Failure to Warn About Sleep Dangers
Fisher-Price marketed products for soothing and gliding without adequate warnings against using for infant sleep. Parents reasonably believed products safe for sleeping infants based on marketing and design.
Delayed Recall After Deaths
Fisher-Price continued selling products for months after April 2019 death reports. The June 2021 recall came over two years after the first fatality, allowing additional sales and infant exposure.
Pattern of Dangerous Sleep Products
Fisher-Price recalled Rock ‘n Play sleepers in 2019 after over 30 infant deaths, then faced Rock ‘n Glide deaths in similar inclined products. The company’s repeated use of inclined designs despite known suffocation risks demonstrates disregard for infant safety.
Positional Asphyxiation Mechanism
Inclined positions cause infant heads to slump forward, compressing airways. Weak neck muscles cannot lift heads from chest-compressed positions, causing oxygen deprivation and death within minutes.
Increased Rolling Risk
Inclined surfaces enable infants to roll before developing this skill on flat surfaces. Early rolling catches parents unprepared, as they expect infants to remain stationary based on developmental stage.
Wrongful Death Claims
Families of deceased infants may pursue wrongful death litigation for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, emotional distress, and punitive damages. Infant deaths from known design defects warrant maximum compensation and punishment.
Negligent Product Testing
Fisher-Price failed to adequately test products for positional asphyxiation risks in unrestrained infants. Reasonable testing requires monitoring infant positioning, airway patency, and rolling behavior during extended use.
Breach of Implied Warranty
Fisher-Price breached implied warranties by selling infant products unfit for their marketed purpose. Products causing suffocation deaths fail basic safety standards for infant care items.
Violation of Federal Safety Standards
CPSC adopted rules banning inclined infant sleepers in 2021 and Congress enacted federal bans in 2022. Fisher-Price’s continued production of inclined products violated evolving federal safety requirements.
Punitive Damages for Repeat Violations
Fisher-Price’s history of inclined product deaths—Rock ‘n Play, Rock ‘n Glide, and later Infant-to-Toddler Rockers—supports punitive damages. Repeating dangerous designs after multiple infant deaths demonstrates reckless disregard warranting severe penalties.
Contact an Attorney
If your infant died or suffered injury from positional asphyxiation, oxygen deprivation, or suffocation in Fisher-Price gliders, soothers, or rockers, contact a product liability attorney immediately. Preserve the product, purchase receipts, medical records, death certificates, autopsy reports documenting asphyxiation, and photographs of infant positioning in the product.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Fisher-Price-Recalls-4-in-1-Rock-n-Glide-Soothers-After-Four-Infant-Deaths-2-in-1-Soothe-n-Play-Gliders-Also-Recalled