Fisher-Price’s Rock ‘n Play sleepers were recalled earlier this year after they were linked to at least 30 infant deaths. Kids II then recalled a range of its inclined sleepers, saying they pose a similar risk. However, mom Sarah Landis was recently shocked to learn that these sleepers were still being used at her daycare center, putting her infant son at risk.
Landis, from Philadelphia, told Consumer Reports earlier this summer that she visited her one-year-old son at daycare only to find him sleeping in a Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. Landis told her husband, Adam Garber, who works in product safety. He called the daycare center to confirm that they had heard about the recall and learned that the daycare center thought they were still fine to use as long as they were used safely.
“Our daycare provider, who cares deeply about the kids, was really confused,” says Garber. “She said she thought there had only been a warning about the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper and that as long as the product was properly used, and babies were buckled in, it would be fine.”
Garber told the daycare center that, in fact, there had been a full recall and they should no longer use the sleepers.
Luckily, there were no infants hurt in this case, but it highlights the confusion and miscommunication that can be common with these types of recalls.
Consumer Reports notes that the recalled sleepers are still being used in as many as 1 in 10 daycares nationwide. This is likely, in part, because the recall messaging was so confusing to many.
“Recalls don’t work well unless people get a clear and consistent message. And they especially don’t work well if manufacturers and the government fail to fully warn people about the risks of a product,” William Wallace, the manager of home and safety policy for Consumer Reports.