Many people have heard about the Rock n’ Play recall. But the story is a lot bigger than the recall. It’s also about inclined sleep and many products that haven’t been recalled. It’s about how we learned about the risks of the RnP. About the CPSC and consumer reports. It’s about severe sleep deprivation and parents who need options.
The Rock n’ Play Recall
On October 31, 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers against using any inclined infant sleepers. This followed an investigation by Consumer Reports in April 2019, raising concerns about the safety of these products. While the initial focus was on the enormously popular Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play sleeper, the current proposal is to ban the sale and use of all inclined sleepers that have been, to date, linked to 73 infant deaths. This applies to any sleep location for babies that is at a greater than 10% incline and includes brands such as:
- Fisher Price
- Graco
- Evenflo
- Summer Infant
- Kids II
- Chicco
To be clear, not all inclined infant sleepers have been recalled. However if your baby is sleeping in something with a greater than 10% incline you should stop using this product even if it hasn’t yet been recalled.
The Bigger Picture – How Did This Happen?
Truthfully, I didn’t pay close enough attention to the RnP. I didn’t realize how popular they were (4.7 M sold is staggering). I assumed large, reputable manufacturing companies had rigorous research and testing policies. I assumed the CPSC was monitoring and providing information concerning product safety. All of my assumptions were wrong.
The only reason we know about the tragedy of the RnP is due to exceptional reporting from Consumer Reports. Their report is a long hard read but I encourage you to make the time because it is essential. And enormously concerning:
- The CPSC issued no warnings about the RnP despite years of mounting evidence of risks, because of laws that require the CPSC to:
- Get permission before releasing information about a company even in cases involving injury or death, and
- Get the manufacturer’s agreement to recall a product.
- Consumer Reports was analyzing data from the CPSC (something they do routinely) and they mistakenly received unredacted data that included manufacturers and product names. Normally the data is redacted to protect the manufacturers.
- Only because of this clerical mistake did the number of deaths attributed to the RnP (and other inclined sleepers) come to light.
- The CPSC lawyers demanded Consumer Reports destroy the data and not publish anything about it.
- On Monday April 8, 2019 Consumer Reports did publish their findings highlighting the product risks. This report made national news with major organizations, including the AAP, also calling for the recall.
- Facing mounting public pressure Fisher Price and the CPSC recalled the RnP 5 days later.
The only reason we know about the hazards associated with this product was because of Consumer Reports. Full stop. Had the CPSC not accidentally shared unredacted data, it would never have come to light. Even as more and more concerns came to light, Fisher Price staunchly stood behind their product.
It’s impossible to look at how this developed and not come to the conclusion that the laws governing the CPSC benefit manufacturers at the cost of our health and safety.
Also, if you are as impressed with Consumer Reports as I am, you can thank them by becoming a member.
What About Baby Swings?
I have long been a proponent of swings. While acknowledging that the gold standard for safety is an empty crib, I had felt there was a lack of good fall back options. When the crib doesn’t work, parents invariably hit a wall of desperation. How long can you wake up 8X a night? Then what? What is Plan B?
Sometimes co-sleeping helps. Co-sleeping also increases the risk of SIDS even when parents exclusively breastfeed and don’t smoke. Many parents end up on chairs or couches in the living room sleeping with infants on their chest, which is enormously risky. With my first we solved the issue by driving around for hours in the middle of the night for months. In hindsight I’m staggered that we did this and to this day, am grateful this didn’t end in tragedy.
Infant swings are highly effective and were promoted heavily for years by Dr. Karp. When my kids were babies, swings broke us out of far worse behaviors. While there is scant research on swings, the few cases provided always involved egregiously unsafe use (ex. premature twins in a single swing with blankets). The little information made available by the CPSC suggested swings were quite safe. Thus for a long time this was my suggestion for Plan B.
However, due to the hazard profile that has come to light regarding inclined sleep I can no longer advocate for angled infant swings. I encourage all parents to discontinue their use immediately.
I am in process of updating my blog and book to reflect this change.
What About Flat Swings?
Since my book was published, several manufacturers have released flat bassinets that provide continuous motion. In theory, these comply with the regulations for bassinets and should be as safe as a non-moving sleep space. However the safety regulations for bassinets are much less rigid than for cribs. And the risks/issues of continuous motion bassinets are currently unknown. There are potential risks of entrapment or a newborn rolling into a facedown position due to motion.
The most popular moving bassinet is the SNOO, a product designed by Dr. Karp. I know many parents are huge fans of the SNOO. I know many others who felt it wasn’t much better than a standard bassinet. Personally, I struggle to swallow the exorbitant price tag. At this time Graco and mamaRoo also have flat motorized bassinets available, and more are expected to enter the market .
What Is Plan B Now?
Nothing is more important than our children’s safety. But we need to acknowledge that there are limits to human endurance. Desperate exhaustion leads to unsafe situations, so the idea that parents should soldier through is nonsense. I’ve worked with families who were so tired they were hallucinating; who backed the car into the garage door; who were crushed by depression and anxiety, challenges exacerbated by severe exhaustion.
This is why many of the best-selling baby products on Amazon are safety hazards. It’s how Fisher Price sold 4.7M Rock n’ Plays. It’s not that parents don’t know or care, it’s that they’re pushed beyond their limits and desperate for answers.
So where does that leave us?
Good sleep hygiene.
Independent sleep.
Sooner rather than later.
Using SWAPS at a very young age, starting at 2-4 months to gradually establish independent sleep. As soon as a consistent bedtime starts to emerge. I’ve long been an advocate of doing so to solve problems, and am going to be more vocal about how doing so prevents problems. We can in fact, set up our babies for sleep success before we hit the wall.
Parents deserve more research and transparency. We need regulations that are driven by science instead of manufacturers. We need confidence that the CPSC is more concerned with the safety of our children than the reputations of large corporations. We need better funding for sleep and safety.
In the meantime let’s try not to hit the wall by setting our kids up for sleep success. Which can happen, sooner than you think.
I found this article very interesting especially as someone who has been delving into rye works of helping others promote healthy and safe sleep. I’m expecting my fourth and now am wondering what I will even be comfortable having my baby sleep and just hang out in during the day.
I just wanted to say thank you for writing this, and for updating your book and blog. It’s a huge amount of work and I am so appreciative of how in-touch you are with the latest research. My son, who is now a toddler, slept for a few weeks in a Rock and Play and I had noticed some worrisome things about the way his head slumped forward during the night (not to mention a flat spot he developed). It scared me enough that we dropped the Rock and Play cold turkey. Afterwards I started researching incline sleep and was horrified to learn how dangerous it can be. Thank you so much for addressing this.
Great reporting, thank you. That is terrifying about the CPSC.
Now let’s address the scourge of the Dock-a-tot! Darling of mommy bloggers and influencers, there is no way that thing is safe. And it’s $$$$! But people defend it rabidly. If anyone questions its safety, they are met with “that’s your opinion and I have to do what’s best for my child”
Thank you for highlighting this important issue and the particular way it came to light. What about all the swings out there? I could be wrong, but they look to have a greater than 10% incline and I see them still being promoted for sleep.
Editing slightly to add that I know you address swings in the post, but it seems they should also fall into the wider “inclined sleeper” category and either recalled or marketed differently.
I’m grateful to you for providing this update and Consumer Reports for doing their investigation. I don’t say this as a criticism of you, or your post, because you are not a wizard who can magic away issues of baby biology and Western family structure, but that’s not really a Plan B. The problem, which you fully acknowledge in your post, is that perfect sleep hygiene is impossible. We’re asking parents to basically do the impossible, and they want to be able to do the impossible because they love their children and never want to put them at risk of SIDS, but doing the impossible, is well, impossible. I don’t have the answers but I really think that analysis of sleeping arrangements and products needs to be done in a more holistic context. Is promoting sleep in a crib from age 0 days NO EXCEPTIONS EVER actually MORE likely to put infants in dangerous SIDS situations because of parents striving for perfection and failing, e.g. falling asleep in a chair or couch. I really believe this is a serious and important questions that the AAP etc. need to consider.
Agree. There needs to be a risk assessment. Not all babies are going to sleep ABC. We need to be confident in doing the ‘next best thing’ sometimes. Whether that’s co sleeping, sleeping in a swing or whatever.
Thank you for clarifying what happened, like another person wrote I also am grateful. And before this came out head position to facilitate breathing always worried me. But I think that while safety should be of utmost priority, some slack should be acknowledged to parents who do try and try and read all the sleep advice and nothing seems to work. To those who have a baby who will accept to sleep in a crib perfect sleep hygiene will most probably be attainable. But some have babies who just refuse to sleep and have the endurance to back it up. My first accepted his crib, my second and third refused (all night and day and night long) and nothing worked but Mommy’s arms (not even Daddy) and I agree with the above poster that perfect sleep hygiene was impossible. I do agree with knowing what is safe and reducing every risk possible but I also think that there are not enough answers for the babies (and their parents) who just cannot seem to be able to sleep without their parents and that no sleep training or sleep teaching advice had worked. Safety is priority and whatever one chooses it must be done with safety first in mind (oh how many times I had looked to make sure that they were still breathing and that nothing was hindering them from breathing, it becomes an obsession). I agree with the above poster, more studies, discussions and answers are needed.
Sorry just to further add, by no means did I want to criticize your post and I hope you didn’t take it that way. You fully acknowledged that sleep is hard and I believe you also had a similar experience so you fully understand those who have children that just won’t sleep (like your first whom you had to drive around). I just wanted to say that I am grateful for your post and for all the information you give us. It helps us make safer decisions! Thank you
Well done Alexis. The behaviour of manufacturers is abhorrent, and to abuse the trust of exhausted and desperate parents is truly unspeakable.
Your advise, openness and honesty is appreciated by us all. We have a 5 year old who is a cracking little sleeper and has been for a few years. For that, I give you and your resources huge credit and our sincere gratitude.
Keep up the amazing work! Ka’Pla! 🙂
I read the Consumer Reports investigation and you summarized it perfectly. Thank you for this blog post, and for updating your book, which must be quite a task. My husband humbly requests that you keep in the Goddess of Consistency cartoons – nothing else quite made sleep-training click for us like that image!
Hi Alexis! I’m late, you consulted with me about 4.5 years ago with my twins who just would not sleep. I’ve told so many people about you and how you and your swing sleep training technique were an answer to many desperate prayers for relief.
I’m so sad to see your post today 🙁 I find myself feeling confused and anxious about what to do, frankly. I’ve had 2 more kids since the twins, the youngest is almost 8 months old. I came to the site because even the swing training is not working like it did with the other 3 kids and I thought maybe I had forgotten some of the steps or something.
Anyway, I’m hoping that behind the scenes you’re lobbying (is that the right word?) the AAP to do several things:
– recognize that leaving parents with ZERO other options is also dangerous
– Compile ALL sleep-related injury data, including, as you mentioned, co-sleeping, data like car accidents due to sleep deprivation and even injuries to other children in the household that took place when a parent of a newborn was napping or sleep deprived, and include the incidence and severity of postpartum depression and suicide of mothers of babies who are not sleeping well
– Compile baby sleep data with postpartum depression data. I fill out a form at each newborn checkup regarding any depression symptoms I’m having. The number of hours the baby sleeps at night should be part of that questionnaire
– Encouraging pediatricians to have sleep consultants working in their clinics
– Possibility of using a prescription for swing devices
– Training for parents on how to use a swing safely when other sleep interventions are not working
– The possibility of using a product like an Owlet concurrently with a swing to improve a parent’s reaction time to any problems that arise
The sleep deprivation I had with my twins was not just dangerous, it was soul-crushing. I was losing my marriage, my religion, and frankly even myself. The banning of these products cannot be the final answer. There must be a middle ground. Drugs are prescribed all the time with potential side effects. There is a notation in the paperwork that comes with then that says something like, “yes there are potential risks with this drug, but the risks without the drug are greater.” For some (probably many) parents and babies, the risks without the swings is much, much greater than the risks with them.
Thank you for posting this! I have a friend who is a pediatric nurse practitioner and was hearing her say and tell parents that rock and plays are safe for sleep and it was just babies that were too old to be in them rolling over…. which is NOT true! I wish this was more public than it is!