Fisher-Price is recalling over two million baby swings after the deaths of five babies between one and three months old.
All models of the company's Snuga Swings are affected by the recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Thursday:
The commission said the swing "should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it. If the product is used for sleep or bedding material is added, the headrest and body support insert on the seat pad can increase the risk of suffocation."
The agency urged customers to remove the head rest and body support insert from the device's seat pad before using it "for awake-time activities."
"Between 2012 and 2022, there have been reports of five deaths involving infants 1 to 3 months of age when the product was used for sleep. In most of those incidents, the infants were unrestrained and bedding materials were added to the product," the announcement read.
According to CNN, there are 21 models of those particular swings. They have been sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Companies that sold the devices were Amazon, Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, and Sam's Club.
The report also noted:
People who keep the Snug Swing should "immediately remove" the headrest and body support insert on the seat pad. Fisher-Price is providing a $25 refund to owners who remove those parts, which is available to access on Mattel's website.
Despite that remedy, Richard Trumka Jr., a commissioner of the CPSC, blasted Fisher-Price for not recalling the whole product and said customers should be fully refunded.
"I believe that the flawed recall that Fisher-Price is announcing today is doomed to fail and will keep many babies in harm's way," he wrote in a statement. "My advice: get your $25 refund and then throw this product away; do not keep it in your homes because even after the so-called 'repair' this product will still be unsafe for infant sleep."
Parents and caregivers should not allow a baby to fall asleep in the swing, per ABC 6, "Even a quick nap can have tragic consequences," a reporter for the outlet said.
In June 2021, Fisher-Price began recalling one of its baby soothers following the deaths of four babies, the Associated Press (AP) reported at the time.