Risks of sitting devices like swingsIn some cases, this slumping can lead to suffocation. In a 10-year study performed by the AAP, sitting devices — identified in this study as car seats, strollers, swings, and bouncers — were found to have caused 3 percent, or 348, of the nearly 12,000 infant deaths studied.
Best Baby Swing
- Best Overall Baby Swing. Fisher-Price Cradle 'n Swing.
- Best Value Compact Swing. Graco Glider Lite LX.
- Best Swing & Rocker Combo. Graco DuetSoothe.
- Best Outdoor Swing for 9mo+ Little Tikes Snug 'n Secure.
- Manual Swing with a Modern Aesthetic. Nuna Leaf Curv.
- High-Tech Motion Simulator. 4moms mamaRoo 4.
No, the Leaf only rocks from side-to-side, which is more than adequate when rocking your little one to sleep.
The AAP does not recommend letting infants sleep in inclined products like the Rock 'n Play that require restraining a baby. AAP policy calls for infants to sleep on their back, on a separate, flat and firm sleep surface without any bumpers, bedding or stuffed toys.
Nov. 7, 2019 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents not let a baby sleep in rockers, pillows, car seats, or any other product that holds an infant at an incline -- with their head higher than their feet.
A. One of the real dangers is that babies have poor head control. They can slouch down while sleeping at an incline and tuck their head into their chest. This closes the airway and causes problems with breathing.
These include wedges marketed to help with reflux—both the FDA and the CPSC warn against their use as they have been linked to infant suffocation deaths—as well as infant “loungers” like the DockATot and the Snuggle Me, which can be safely used in some locations but not in cribs or bassinets.
In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and SIDS (hereafter, the AAP Task Force) issued revised recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS. 1 Among them was the recommendation that healthy babies be placed on their backs to sleep as the main way to reduce SIDS risk.
How long am I able to use my Fisher-Price® cradle swing? You may use your cradle swing from birth until the child becomes active and can climb out of the swing; 25 pounds maximum.
Some swings may have a cradle attachment in which the infant can lie flat while gently swinging. These can be safe as long as all guidelines for safe sleep surfaces are followed. When your baby falls asleep in the swing, it is best to move him to his crib or bassinet.
How long can baby stay in a swing? “Babies shouldn't be in a swing for more than 30 minutes at a time,” says Trachtenberg. Keeping your little one strapped in a swing for too long each day can result in a flattening of the back of their head (known as plagiocephaly), according to the AAP.
Swinging helps develop fine motor skills—grip strength, hand, arm and finger coordination. Swinging develops a child's core muscles and helps with the development of balance. Spinning on a swing stimulates different parts of a child's brain simultaneously.
Infants under age 4 months should be seated in the most reclined swing position to avoid slumping over and suffocating. The swing should not tip over or fold up easily. If the seat can be adjusted to more than a 50-degree angle, it should have shoulder straps to keep the infant from falling out.
It is no secret that most babies do love to be rocked. They love the movement and it calms them down. If mom does not have a swing, then she is left to use her arms and rock her baby for what will seem like hours, and it very well could be. Swings can save the day.
The recall comes weeks after Fisher Price recalled 4.7 million of its Rock 'n Play sleepers after it was reported that at least 10 infants had died of suffocation since 2015 after rolling over from their backs to their stomachs while in the seat.
The rocker gently rocks the baby in a soft (usually) side to side motion. It's good for very young babies or when they have trouble falling asleep. Bouncers are for bigger babies that can hold their head up. It helps them bounce up and down and works their leg muscles.
Legal requirementsMany suppliers voluntarily recall their own product/s after they become aware that it presents a safety risk. "Selling products that breach mandatory safety or information standards or which have been temporarily or permanently banned is illegal."
In about the last eight years, 32 babies have died while sleeping in Rock 'n Plays - most because they couldn't breathe after rolling over while they weren't buckled in. Alexis Dubief is a baby sleep consultant and runs a Facebook group called Precious Little Sleep.
“Rockers and bouncers should never be used unsupervised, and they should never be used for sleeping, or as a substitute for a safe sleep space,” Jane says.
The DockATot is designed as an in-bed co-sleeper. Co-sleeping is one of the biggest risk factors for infant sleep deaths. Safe Sleep Experts agree that there is no "safe co-sleeping." Placing the DockATot in a crib, bassinet or other sleep surface is against the manufacturer's warnings and is not safe.
But the six products below come close.
- Dream on Me Traveler Portable Bassinet. Amazon.
- Arm's Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper Bassinet. Amazon.
- Halo Bassinet Swivel Sleeper. Amazon.
- Guava Lotus Travel Crib. Babies should only put to sleep on their backs on a flat surface with a fitted sheet.
- Graco Travel Lite Crib.
- SNOO Smart Sleeper.
Pediatricians generally consider play yards, such as the Graco Pack 'n Play, a safe every-night sleep environment for babies. Pediatricians say that babies do fine sleeping on a firm surface (until they develop a preference for a softer surface — so avoid introducing it).
Package the hub assemblies and return them to Fisher-Price in a prepaid shipping label. You can click through the recall form on the Mattel site or contact Fisher-Price at (866) 812-6518 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
When a product that you have bought is recalled, you may have rights to a refund or replacement, or the company may offer to repair the product. Your rights to get a refund or a replacement depend on whether the fault makes the product unsafe.
Consumers who own the Rock 'n Play Sleeper should participate in the recall remedy approved by the CPSC and should not attempt to sell the product, as it is unlawful to sell or resell a recalled product.”
The statute of limitations, according to NHTSA, for all no-charge recall repairs is 10 years from the original sale date of the vehicle. However, one exception is tires. Tire recall repairs must be completed within 60 days of receiving a recall notice.
What to do when a product is recalled
- See our recall notices and make sure your product is the one affected.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions, as explained in the notice.
- If instructions aren't included in the notice, or if you have more questions, contact the manufacturer by phone or visit their website.
Despite Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play recall, parents say they'll continue to use the sleeper. Earlier this month, Fisher-Price recalled nearly 5 million of its Rock 'n Play Sleepers. Despite the recall, parents in Facebook groups are still supporting the product and say they'll continue to use it.
Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged Fisher-Price to recall the Rock 'n Play Sleeper, citing CR's reporting. The CPSC recall says the deaths “occurred in Rock 'n Play Sleepers, after the infants rolled over while unrestrained, or under other circumstances.”
And unlike high-end vibrating bassinets such as Karp's Snoo, which has a $1,300 price tag, the Rock 'n Play was relatively affordable — selling for $50 to $90.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fisher-Price Recalls Rock 'n Play Sleepers Due to Reports of Deaths, April 2019. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC Cautions Consumers Not to Use Inclined Infant Sleep Products, October 2019.
Four companies have recalled more than 165,000 infant incline sleepers due to suffocation risk
- Summer Infant's SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper, Model number 91394.
- Graco Little Lounger Rocking Seat, Model numbers; 1872034, 1875063, 1875102, 1877160, 1882081, 1896313, 1908957, 1914283, 2047734 and 1922809.
