4moms Recalls MamaRoo and RockaRoo Swings and Rockers Due to Risk of Strangulation

4moms is recalling about 2 million MamaRoo swings and 220,000 RockaRoo rockers that were sold in the U.S., as well as the 60,000 MamaRoo swings and 10,000 RockaRoo rockers that were sold in Canada. Both of the asphyxiation incidents occurred with the MamaRoo swing.

The company is telling consumers who have these swings and rockers in their homes to register for free strap fasteners that will prevent the straps from hanging down below the seats when they are not in use. In the meantime, consumers should immediately stop using these products and keep them away from crawling infants. The CPSC says it has reviewed and approved this remedy for both products.

In response to questions from Consumer Reports, Amie Ley Stanton, a spokesperson from 4moms, said that the infant death occurred in December 2020. She said the company learned about it several months later and promptly alerted the CPSC.

Stanton said that the company supports changes to the standards that govern infant swings and rockers in order to address this kind of risk. Until that happens, Stanton said, “4moms developed its own strap retention improvement and incorporated that design into the newest model of the MamaRoo.” 

The newest model of the MamaRoo swing, which launched in July, is not affected by the recall because it has a redesigned restraint strap that the company says will prevent similar risks.

“While we welcome the recall, these incidents are a somber reminder of what can happen when a common hazard, like a loose strap, goes unnoticed until it’s too late,” says Oriene Shin, policy counsel for product safety at CR. “Parents trust companies to anticipate hazards and design products that protect their baby from a wide range of scenarios, including those that might not seem very likely. All manufacturers of infant products need to remain vigilant and take prompt action, at any point in a product’s life cycle, to keep babies safe.”

The CPSC’s incident report about the infant who was injured by a MamaRoo swing shows that the injury occurred in 2018, two years before the death. The parent described the baby crawling into the open space between the base and the seat, where the looped restraint strap was dangling below. “[T]he strap got so tightly twisted around his neck I had to cut the strap to loosen him,” the parent wrote in the report. “He suffered marks and popped blood vessels all the way around his neck…. Very scary and is dangerous if anyone has this product and doesn’t realize the straps underneath can do this.”

“We are deeply saddened by the two incidents that occurred when babies crawled under the seat of unoccupied MamaRoo swings,” says 4moms CEO Gary Waters. “We strongly urge our consumers, retailers, and re-seller partners to implement the strap fastener solution to ensure the complete safety of our products.”

CR previously investigated the risks posed by baby products, including inclined infant sleepers, which were linked to at least 94 infant deaths over 10 years. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act, prompted in part by CR’s investigation, was signed into law in May. The law bans the manufacture and sale of all inclined sleepers and crib bumper pads.