Did Fisher-Price know the dangers of incline sleepers?
The Rock 'n Play brought in millions of dollars in sales each year, totaling $200 million before the product was discontinued, the report found. All the while, Fisher-Price knew the grave danger of their widely popular product. Documents obtained by the Committee confirmed that the corporation had become aware of the serious dangers associated with the Rock ‘n Play before its launch. House investigators also found that the New-York company apparently consulted only one doctor before bringing the sleeper to the market. Which the report uncovered that the physician was not a pediatrician and was later accused of practicing medicine without a license.
Once the sleeper hit shelves, Fisher-Price continued to disregard alarms raised by regulators, pediatricians, and consumers. It was only a matter of time until the product received a consumer complaint that a child had stopped breathing while in the sleeper. The report described that the child had regained breathe after being picked up. In response, the company issued a refund and discounted any further review.
It was all but two months later in December 2012 when Fisher-Price received another report that an infant had died in their sleeper, according to the committee’s research. It was not until seven years later and an alarming death toll of over 50 babies until Fisher-Price issued a recall of their must-have product.
