Deadly infant sleepers are still being used at day-care centers around the country, despite recalls, new research suggests.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and Kids in Danger, a non-profit group advocating for children’s safety, contacted more than 600 child care facilities across the country between June and July asking if they were using recalled sleepers in their child-care facilities.
They found that one in 10 of the 376 centers that responded indicated they were still using at least one of the dangerous sleepers at day cares, according to the report. The survey included states like Wisconsin and Texas that required product removals and others, like Georgia, that did not.
Just 18 states have legislation that bans recalled children’s products from child-care facilities including toys, cribs other furniture for infants, according to the U.S. PIRG.
Some 32 infants died in the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play sleeper MAT, +1.78% and at least four more were found dead in the company’s Kids 2 Rocking Sleeper, Consumer Reports revealed in June.
A warning was issued to parents and care givers by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at the time, but after further investigation into safety concerns, a full recall of around 5.4 million infant products was issued. The organization urges parents to ask if their child’s care facility is using these sleepers.
Fisher-Price and Kids 2 did not return requests for comment. At the time of the recalls last April, a Fisher-Price released a statement saying, “A child fatality is an unimaginable tragedy. Fisher-Price has a long, proud tradition of prioritizing safety as the cornerstone of our mission.”
Just 18 states have legislation that bans recalled children’s products from child-care facilities including toys, cribs other furniture for infants, according to the U.S. PIRG. States like Michigan and Arkansas, for example, mandate child-care centers have a log tracking recalls that parents can request so they are aware. Pennsylvania also requires owners to make sure recalled products were removed.
“Companies must do more to directly warn everyone about these unsafe products,” Adam Garber, a consumer watchdog for PIRG told MarketWatch in an email. “In the meantime, you can look for these and other recalled products by signing up for alerts at saferproducts.gov and talking to your day care about how they monitor for and then remove unsafe toys, sleepers and other products. That will help ensure your kids are safe.”
The U.S. PIRG suggests that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) work with state agencies to make sure all child-care facilities are notified immediately when there is a recall so they know to get rid of potentially dangerous products they may have on site.
“Mattel and Kids 2 should redouble their efforts to reach any known users of these deadly sleepers and encourage participation in the recall,” the U.S. PIRG said.
Add Comment