Fisher-Price Recalls 2.1 Million Snuga Swings After Infant Deaths

Fisher-Price is recalling 2.1 million of its popular Snuga baby swings after the death of five infants. In announcing the recall, the brand said that infants should never be allowed to sleep in the swings. When the Fisher-Price swing is used for sleep and if bedding materials are added to it, the included padded headrest and infant insert increase the risk of the baby suffocating, according to the statement released with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Oct. 10, 2024. The CPSC is asking owners to stop using the swing or remove the headrest and insert portion of it before continuing use during “awake-time” only.

The Fisher-Price swing recall includes more than 2 million swings amid infant suffocation concerns.

Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Consumer Product Safety Commission

Five infants have died between 2012 and 2022 when the swing was used for sleep, per the CPSC recall notice. In most of those cases, the infants were unrestrained and “bedding materials” were added to the swing, the notice reads. The babies were between the ages of 1 to 3 months old.

In addition to the 2.1 million swings sold in the U.S., about 99,000 swings were sold in Canada and about 500 swings were sold in Mexico. The swings were sold at Amazon, Toys R Us, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target from October 2010 through January 2024.

The latest Fisher-Price recall includes 21 of the brand’s Snuga baby swings, including the My Little Snugabunny Swing, Snow Leopard Swing and My Little Snugapuppy Cradle ‘n Swing. The full list of recalled products is in the CPSC’s recall notice. If you’re uncertain of your swing’s name, CPSC notes that the model number and name are printed on the underside of the swing motor housing.

The infant swings have a front to back and side-to-side motion, with 90 degrees of rotation and two seat back positions. They also fold up for storage. All of the Snuga Swings “feature the same design with minor differences in fabric colors and toy accessories,” according to CPSC.

The CPSC stresses in its recall notice the importance of not using the swing when baby is asleep. “The swing should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it,” the notice reads. “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.”

Catherine Frymark, executive vice president and chief corporate communications officer at Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price, stresses that “the swing itself is not being recalled and can continue to be used with the seat pad provided” for non-sleep time. The brand “no longer” makes the swing, Frymark told us.

If owners want to continue to use the swing, they should remove the headrest by cutting the tether and remove the body support insert. They can receive a $25 refund, after filling out a form on the Mattel Global Consumer Support website. After that, the recall notice says the swing can continue to be used for “awake-time activities.”

For years, both the U.S. government and the country’s leading pediatric organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, have waged a public education campaign to get American parents to place babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface, such as in a crib or bassinet, without any blankets, pillows or soft items to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation. The AAP continues to advise against allowing children to sleep in all infant swings, loungers or other items designed for wake times and entertainment. Instead, it advises parents to transfer their child to a crib or bassinet for sleep.

Yet recalls have continued to plague the baby product industry for years, especially around toys and infant sleep issues. Baby swings, unsafe loungers and bedside sleepers have often been items of concern, particularly when a child is left to sleep in one. Fisher-Price, for example, re-recalled its once-popular Rock ‘N Play sleepers last year after eight additional deaths happened following the original 2019 recall that involved 30 deaths and millions of sleepers. The inclined sleeper could cause infants to suffocate if they roll onto their sides or stomachs. A subsequent 2022 law banned inclined sleepers and additional regulations rolled out to address infant sleep products and concerns on loungers, pack and plays, bassinets and other items.

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