Fisher-Price recalling more than 2 million SNUGA infant swings following 5 reported deaths

Fisher-Price is recalling more than 2 million infant swings following reports of five infant deaths over a 10-year period, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday.

The company is recalling all models of its Snuga Infant Swings, approximately 2.1 million of which were sold in the U.S., because they can pose a suffocation risk for infants.

According to a CPSC recall notice, between 2012 to 2022, five infant deaths were reported involving infants 1 to 3 months of age when the Snuga Swings were used for sleep.

"In most of those incidents, the infants were unrestrained and bedding materials were added to the product," the recall notice stated.

Both Fisher-Price and the CPSC said Snuga Swings should never be used for sleeping, and blankets or other materials should never be added to the swing, "even after the headrest and the body support insert have been removed."

"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," the company and agency stated.

Anyone with a Snuga Swing is advised to cut off the headrest tether and remove the swing's body support insert from its seat pad before using the swing for "awake-time activities," and bedding should not be added even after the headrest and body support insert are separated from the product.

Fisher-Price is also offering customers a $25 refund after a recalled swing's headrest and body support insert are removed and destroyed. The company has provided instructions for the refund process on the Mattel and Fisher-Price customer service website.

All Snuga Swing models are impacted by the recall and a full list of 21 recalled models and their model numbers can be found on the CPSC recall website.

The different models have variations in fabric colors and toy accessories but have the same general design. Recalled Snuga Swings are also capable of being moved in both front-to-back and side-to-side motions and feature 90-degree rotation, two seat back positions and can be folded.

Fisher-Price's Snuga Swings were made in China and Mexico and distributed by Fisher-Price of East Aurora, New York. They retailed for about $160 each and were sold nationally from October 2010 to January 2024 at retailers including Amazon, Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Sam's Club and Target.

Approximately 99,000 of the recalled swings were sold in Canada and about 500 of them were sold in Mexico as well.

The CPSC also advised parents and caregivers this week not to place babies or infants in any inclined seated products -- such as gliders, rockers, soothers or swings -- unrestrained or unsupervised, or for sleeping, since doing so can increase the risk of suffocation.

In a statement to ABC News, a Fisher-Price spokesperson reiterated that the Snuga Swings were not being fully recalled but should be repaired as instructed.

"The swing itself is not being recalled and can continue to be used with the seat pad provided," the spokesperson said, reminding consumers that "the swing should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it."

In January 2023, CPSC and Fisher-Price also warned parents not to use recalled Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleepers to rock children to sleep.

"CPSC continues to urge consumers to place infants on their backs for sleep," the federal agency said in the latest recall notice. "The best place for an infant to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard, with nothing but a fitted sheet. Infants who fall asleep in an inclined or upright position should be moved to a safe sleep environment with a firm, flat surface such as a crib, bassinet, or play yard."