The Mamaroo swing and Rockaroo rocker have been on the market for a dozen years for parents trying to keep infants calm and cooing. But it took one horrible incident and another near tragedy to have the maker of the baby product recall millions of the devices.
The recall occurred in mid-August after Pittsburgh-based Thorley Industries, doing business as 4moms, got word that a 10-month-old infant had been killed due to one of its swings.
The incident did not occur while the child was seated in the swing but when the infant crawled underneath it and become entangled and was asphyxiated in its restraint strap, which hangs beneath the swing when not in use. The problem happened another time to a different 10-month-old baby who suffered bruises but was rescued by a caretaker in time to prevent further harm.
4moms, with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, also stepping in, immediately announced a recall of more than two million of the swings and 220,000 Rockaroo rockers that have a similar strap, though no incidents had been reported involving the rocker. The swings and rockers were sold between 2010 and August 2022 at BuyBuy Baby and Target stores and online at 4moms.com and on Amazon. Some units were also sold in Canada.
The recall did not include all swings but only models that use a three-point harness: versions 1.0 and 2.0 (model number 4M-005), version 3.0 (model number 1026), and version 4.0 (model number 1037). The RockaRoo rocker that was recalled has the model number 4M-012 on the bottom of the unit, the CPSC said.
People with infants who can crawl were advised to immediately stop using the recalled swings and rockers and place them away from children. The CPSC issued a number of contacts for help, including for 4moms at 877-870-7390 and by emailing safetyandrecall@4moms.com.
Kline & Specter attorneys note that if you had a child who suffered serious injury or death possibly due to a Mamaroo swing or Rockaroo rocker, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. The firm, with more than 50 attorneys including five doctor/lawyers – the most in the nation — handles cases in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. For cases outside those states, Kline & Specter works with local attorneys in each state as applicable.
