4moms recalls MamaRoo and RockaRoo Swings and Rockers over Strangulation Risk
A strap under the MamaRoo infant swing can strangle a child.
After one infant died and another suffered strangulation injuries, infant product maker 4moms recalled more than 2 million of its swings and rockers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said that when they’re not being used, the devices’ restraint straps can hang below the seats and strangle an infant.
Baby Death and Injury
In 2020, a 10-month-old baby was strangled to death after crawling under a swing and getting tangled in the strap. In 2018, another 10-month-old got caught in a strap but was saved by his parent.
Following these accidents, the company 4moms is recalling roughly 2 million of its MamaRoo swings and 220,000 of its RockaRoo rockers in America. Another 60,000 MamaRoo swings and 10,000 RockaRoo rockers sold in Canada were also recalled. Both of the strangling accidents occurred with the MamaRoo swing.
The 4moms company has told people with these swings to register for free strap fasteners which would keep the straps from hanging down below swings not being used. Meanwhile, 4moms also says parents should cease using these products. CPSC reports that it has reviewed and approved this remedy for both products.
A 4moms spokesperson, Amie Ley Stanton, told Consumer Reports that the infant was killed in December 2020. She said 4moms learned about the death several months later and promptly told CPSC.
Ms. Stanton said 4moms supports changes to the standards that govern infant swings and rockers to minimize risk. She said 4moms has developed its own strap retention improvement and used that design in its newest MamaRoo model.
Launched last month, the newest MamaRoo swing is unaffected by the recall. According to 4 moms, its redesigned restraint strap will prevent similar risks.
Consumer Reports Legal Statement
CR attorney Oriene Shin, said: “While we welcome the recall, these incidents are a somber reminder of what can happen when a common hazard, like a loose strap, goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Parents trust companies to anticipate hazards and design products that protect their baby from a wide range of scenarios, including those that might not seem very likely. All manufacturers of infant products need to remain vigilant and take prompt action, at any point in a product’s life cycle, to keep babies safe.”
The CPSC report showed it was 2018 when the first baby was injured by a MamaRoo swing. That was two years before the infant was strangled to death by the hanging strap in 2020.
The injured baby’s parent described his crawling under the seat where the restraint strap was loosely hanging. The savior parent wrote in the report:
“[T]he strap got so tightly twisted around his neck I had to cut the strap to loosen him. He suffered marks and popped blood vessels all the way around his neck…. Very scary and dangerous if anyone has this product and doesn’t realize the straps underneath can do this.”
CEO of 4moms responds to baby’s death
“We are deeply saddened by the two incidents that occurred when babies crawled under the seat of unoccupied MamaRoo swings,” said 4moms CEO Gary Waters. “We strongly urge our consumers, retailers, and re-seller partners to implement the strap fastener solution to ensure the complete safety of our products.”
Safe Sleep for Babies Act following 94 Infant Deaths
In the last ten years, 94 infant deaths were linked to inclined infant sleepers, Boppy Newborn Loungers among them. Those deaths led to the Safe Sleep for Babies Act being signed into law in May 2022. That law bans the manufacture and sale of all inclined sleepers and crib bumper pads.
The MamaRoo Baby Swing Recall
The company 4moms MamaRoo Baby Swing, versions 1.0 through 4.0 and RockaRoo Baby Rockers were sold at BuyBuy Baby and Target stores nationwide and online at 4moms.com and Amazon from January 2010 through August 2022. The products cost between $160 and $250.
Recalled Products:
- Roughly 2 million MamaRoo swings sold in the U.S.
- 220,000 RockaRoo rockers sold in the U.S.
- 60,000 MamaRoo swings sold in Canada
- 10,000 RockaRoo rockers were sold in Canada
Reporting Dangerous Products or Injuries
To report a dangerous product or product-related injury, consumers are urged to go to SaferProducts.gov.
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- Contact a Lawyer
by Matthews & Associates
