Facebook Marketplace is full of recalled items. Watch for these 10.

Infant rockers linked to nearly a hundred deaths. Collapsible strollers blamed for amputated fingers. Portable recliners that infants can fall out of, causing them to suffocate between the product and their crib.

USA TODAY found at least 170 listings for recalled items on Facebook Marketplace in recent weeks, spanning 14 separate product lines. More than three dozen of the items were later marked as sold, according to USA TODAY’s review, though it’s possible that many more found new homes because sellers have the option of deleting a post without saying if the item has sold.

Facebook spokeswoman Devon Kearns told USA TODAY that the company prohibits the sale of recalled goods and enforces the policy primarily through automated reviews, and occasionally manual checks, before a listing goes live.

“We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them,” Kearns said.

But despite prior warnings about the problem, the company is still failing to block many deadly products, even when the product name is in the listing’s title.

Experts say secondhand shoppers must be vigilant.

Nancy Cowles, executive director of the consumer safety advocacy group Kids in Danger, said consumers should always check if a product handed down to them or purchased used has been recalled. Instead, many assume that if it was safe for someone else, it will be safe for them.

“You feel like, ‘It's tested. They used it. They didn't have a problem. So, it must be safe,’” she said. “They don't know about the recalls, I think, a lot of times. They don't even think about recalls unless they've been alerted to it in some way.”

Here are 10 recalled products to watch out for if you’re shopping for secondhand children’s items. You can find a full list of products that have been recalled at usatoday.com/recalls. 

The Boppy Company recalled all versions of its popular newborn lounger in September. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, infants can suffocate if they roll into or are placed in the lounger in a position that blocks their breathing, or if they roll off the pillow onto a surface that obstructs breathing, like soft bedding. The product was not marketed for infant sleep. But Robert S. Adler, then the acting commission chairman, said infants often fall asleep in products not meant for that purpose, making the Boppy Lounger “simply too risky to remain on the market.”

Own a Boppy Lounger? Stop using it and get a full refund. Call The Boppy Company at 800-416-1355 or go to boppy.com and click “Recall and Safety Alert” for more information.

The Nap Nanny was first recalled in 2010, but the product remained on the market. The recall only required the company to improve warnings, while offering owners a coupon toward the purchase of a newer model. In 2013, after the CPSC learned of additional incidents and filed an administrative complaint against the manufacturer, the company announced a full recall of the Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill.

At the time, the safety commission said it had received at least 92 reports of infants hanging or falling over the side of the Nap Nanny, including when the infant was restrained in the product’s harness. In some cases, infants were found trapped between the product and the side of their crib. Yet more than a decade after the first recall, the Nap Nanny is still circulating online. USA TODAY found more than a dozen on Facebook Marketplace, and two were later marked as sold.

Own a Nap Nanny? Stop using it. The company that made the Nap Nanny is no longer in business and is not accepting returns. But Amazon and Buy Buy Baby announced their own recall of the product in 2012, so consumers who purchased a Nap Nanny at one of those retailers can contact the company for instructions on how to get a refund.

When Fisher-Price announced the recall of its Rock ‘n Play Sleeper in 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was aware of over 30 infants who died in the product. That number skyrocketed this year when, at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, a Fisher-Price executive said the company was actually aware of approximately 97 deaths, though he then said some of those fatalities involved products from other companies. The committee’s investigation into the product found Fisher-Price had ignored warnings that the Rock ‘n Play was dangerous and conducted no research on whether it was safe for infants to sleep in before releasing it on the market.

The Rock ‘n Play is dangerous for multiple reasons. Infants can roll from their backs to their stomachs while unrestrained in the Rock ‘n Play, placing them at risk of suffocation. The product also places infants at a reclined 30 degree angle, which a CPSC-commissioned study found is unsafe for sleep.

Own a Rock ‘n Play? Stop using it. You can receive either a refund or a voucher for a different Fisher-Price item, depending on when you purchased it, by visiting service.mattel.com and clicking on “Recall and Safety Alerts.”

Fisher-Price recalled 120,000 4-in-1 Rock ‘n Glide Soothers and 55,000 2-in-1 Soothe ‘n Play Gliders in the same announcement earlier this year. The company said the Rock ‘n Glide had been linked to four deaths in which infants had been placed on their backs unrestrained and were later found on their stomachs. Though the Soothe ‘n Play had not been linked to any deaths, Fisher-Price proactively recalled it because its design is similar to that of the Rock ‘n Glide.

Own a Rock ‘n Glide or Soothe ‘n Play? Stop using it. Contact Fisher-Price for a refund by visiting service.mattel.com and clicking on “Recall and Safety Alerts” or by calling 855-853-6224.

Bumbo baby seats were first recalled in 2007, but the manufacturer only issued new labels warning to not use the seats on elevated surfaces. After more incidents were reported to the safety commission, the product was fully recalled in 2012. At the time, the agency was aware of 112 incidents of babies falling out of the seat, resulting in two dozen cases of babies fracturing their skulls.

Own a Bumbo baby seat? You should only use it with safety straps. And even then, it is not safe for use on raised surfaces. To obtain a repair kit that includes safety straps, contact the manufacturer at bumbousa.com/safety-recall.

Maclaren recalled all its single and double umbrella strollers in 2009 because children’s fingers could get caught in the stroller’s hinge mechanism. At the time, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Maclaren was aware of 12 fingertip amputations resulting from the stroller. Less than two years later, the company and the CPSC announced the recall again, with new urgency, saying the company was aware of 149 injuries in total including five additional fingertip amputations. Maclaren has since redesigned the hinge, and strollers with a round hinge have not been recalled.

Own a recalled Maclaren stroller? Stop using it. At the time of the recall, Maclaren provided a fabric hinge cover for its strollers. Maclaren’s website doesn’t have any information about how to take part in the recall today.

Magnetix toys can break apart, and the small magnets, when ingested, can attract to one another and rip through a child’s intestines. The product was first recalled in 2006, but additional recalls, including of other Magnetix models, followed in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the safety commission said it was aware of at least 1,500 incidents of magnets separating from the toy’s building pieces, resulting in 27 intestinal injuries and one death.

Own a Magnetix toy? Stop using it. Go to service.mattel.com to see if it has been recalled.

In 2015, Ikea and the CPSC announced a repair program for Ikea dressers, including the popular Malm line, after five children had died when the bureaus tipped onto them. But the program only included sending anchoring kits to consumers. In 2016, after another child died, Ikea pulled most of its dressers off the market and acknowledged the products did not meet the furniture industry’s stability standard. In 2017, Ikea said it had received 299 reports of its dressers tipping over, resulting in 144 injuries to children. After the recall, Ikea redesigned its dressers for added stability and rereleased many under the same name, making it difficult to distinguish between a recalled dresser and one that wasn’t recalled.

Own an Ikea dresser? Stop using it until you can determine if it was recalled. If you own a Malm dresser sold between 2002 and mid-2016, there is a good chance it was recalled. But more than 100 other lines of Ikea dressers were also recalled. A full list of products, along with steps for taking part in the recall, is available at ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/product-support/recalls. If your dresser is recalled, Ikea will give you a full refund and pick up the dresser from your home.

In March 2010, the safety commission issued a warning to consumers about sling-style baby carriers, saying the agency was aware of 14 deaths, including three the prior year. But the agency didn’t name any of the products of concern. That changed 12 days later when it announced the recall of the Infantino SlingRider, as well as a similar “Wendy Bellissimo” branded sling sold exclusively at Babies "R" Us. Regulators said sling-style carriers are a hazard because in the first few months of life when babies cannot control their heads, the fabric of the sling can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, leading to suffocation within a minute or two. Sling carriers also place an infant in a position where their chin is curled toward their chest, potentially restricting oxygen supply.

Own an Infantino SlingRider? Stop using it. Contact Infantino at infantino.com/pages/recalls for information on taking part in the recall.

The incident numbers listed for each product, unless otherwise noted, were current as of the date of the recall, or the last announcement regarding the product made by the CPSC.

Tricia L. Nadolny is a reporter on USA TODAY’s national investigative team. She can be reached at tnadolny@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @TriciaNadolny.

Published
9:10 am UTC Nov. 3, 2021
Updated
3:07 pm UTC Apr. 11, 2023

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