Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Panel Assails Fisher-Price For Ignoring Sleeper's Risks To Infants
NPR: Fisher-Price Ignored Safety Warnings Even After Infants Started Dying: Report
Executives at Fisher-Price ignored repeated safety warnings about the company's once popular Rock 'n Play sleeper, even after infants began to roll over and die in the now-recalled product, according to a new report. An investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform alleges that the New York-based children's products giant didn't adequately vet the sleeper for safety before putting it on the market in 2009 and then batted away criticism of the Rock 'n Play for a decade before recalling it in 2019 after more than 50 infants had lost their lives. "What we found is absolutely shocking," said the committee's chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y. "It is a national scandal." (Hernandez, 6/7)
The Washington Post: Fisher-Price Criticized By House Panel For Infant Deaths In Its Rock ‘N Play Inclined Sleepers
Two company executives were sharply criticized Monday by a House panel over Fisher-Price’s decision to keep its Rock ’n Play inclined sleeper on the market for a decade while waiting until 2019 to recall a product tied to dozens of infant deaths. Members of the House Oversight Committee seemed to struggle to find new ways to describe their outrage and incredulity with the well-known maker of toys and baby products, with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) saying Fisher-Price showed “a shocking lack of corporate integrity.” (Frankel, 6/7)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
NPR: Senate OKs Bill That Would Provide Aid For Mysterious 'Havana Syndrome' Injuries
The U.S. Senate on Monday voted unanimously to pass legislation that would provide additional resources for American officials suffering from so-called "Havana Syndrome" — a mysterious set of symptoms that first affected federal employees stationed in Cuba in 2016. The bipartisan bill — Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act — would authorize financial support for U.S. officials reporting symptoms related to the syndrome, including headaches, nausea, hearing and vision changes, vertigo and memory loss. (Wise, 6/7)
