Attention, parents of infants: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has announced a recall of Fisher-Price Snuga swings. The hazard is mostly a safe sleep issue: "The swing should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it," the CSPC announced. "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." Sadly, five deaths have been reported.
More than 2 million of these swings have been sold at retailers like Amazon, Toys R Us, Walmart/Sams Club and Target. They've been sold under around 20 different names, too, like My Little Snugabear Cradle 'n Swing, Moonlight Meadow Swing or Deluxe Swing Surreal Serenity. You can visit either the CSPC website or the Mattel website to find out which exact products are included in the recall.
What to Do If You Have a Recalled Swing
The safest thing to do is to discontinue using the swing entirely. The CSPC recommends at the very least taking out the most hazardous pieces. "Consumers should immediately remove both the headrest by cutting the tether and the body support insert from the seat pad before continuing to use the swing," it says.
The CSPC also warns parents about using products not marketed toward baby sleep as a place for sleeping. "Parents and caregivers should never use any inclined seated products, such as swings, gliders, soothers and rockers, for infant sleep and should not leave infants in these products unsupervised, unrestrained or with bedding material due to the risk of suffocation," it says.
In addition, Fisher-price is offering a $25 refund to those who remove and destroy the headrest and body support. (The swing retail for around $160.) In order to receive the refund, customers have to fill out the forms on the Mattel website.
Some experts say that this recall doesn't go far enough. "There should be a full refund, and Fisher-Price should be urging people to throw away these swings," says William Wallace, associate director of safety policy at Consumer Reports. "Retailers, online platforms, and secondhand marketplaces should all prohibit Snuga Infant Swings from being sold and take a range of steps to make sure they aren't listed."
How to Create a Safe Sleep Environment for Babies
This recall is part of a wave of recent recalls that have affected products used for baby sleep. Fisher-Price, along with other brands, previously had to recall inclined sleepers (like the popular Rock n' Play) because experts have determined that products that are tilted more than 10 degrees are unsafe sleeping environments.
After that, there was a round of recalls of products that aren't firm enough, increasing the risk of suffocation. Baby loungers like the Boppy or the Dock-a-Tot are no longer being sold.
Since mid-2022, products marketing toward baby sleep have to meet a new federal safety standard. But that doesn't stop people from letting infants fall asleep in products that are supposed to only be used when a baby is awake. So, how do parents ensure they're creating a safe sleep environment before recalls hit? Parents should follow the guidelines made by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This includes:
- Placing babies on their backs to sleep
- Using a firm sleep surface
- Removing all bedding except a tight-fitting sheet
- Keeping all loose and soft objects out of the sleeping area
- Avoiding products like crib bumpers, wedge positioners or weighted sleep sacks
- Sharing a room, but not a bed, for the first year
- Using a pacifier at nap time and bedtime for the first six months
In addition, it's a good idea to register any product with the manufacturer, so you can be alerted automatically if any big-ticket gear you buy is included in a recall. Parens can also keep an eye out on the list of recalls available on the CSPC website.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
